HOUSTON (AP) - Texas agriculture officials say the historic
drought has caused record-breaking crop and livestock losses
estimated at $7.62 billion for 2011. The Texas AgriLife
Extension Service's latest estimate is $2.42 billion higher than
what was provided in August. Agency spokesman Blair Fannin gave
The Associated Press the data on Wednesday before it was
publicly released. In August, the extension service's
preliminary estimate of $5.2 billion already topped the previous
record of $4.1 billion in 2006. Texas' long history with
droughts has been costly. Since 1998, drought has cost
agriculture more than $14 billion. Crop producers and ranchers
who continue to try to recover from the driest year on record in
Texas also dealt with triple-digit heat and windy conditions.
Texas' cattle herd is now at the lowest level since the 1950s.
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