Texas Producers Find Value in Alternative Crops

By Adam Russell

Texas farmers continue to find ways to add value to their operations through alternative crops like oilseeds and cover crop forages.

Calvin Trostle, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agronomist and statewide hemp and alternative crop specialist, Lubbock, said markets may be limited for alternative crops like sunflowers, sesame, Sudan grass and canola, but Texas producers are taking advantage of cropping opportunities.

For producers, alternative crops can serve as primary summer crops or provide supplemental income. They can also provide the benefits of a cover crop during the cool season.

“Alternative crops are a small piece of Texas ag production,” Trostle said. “But for producers looking for opportunities to supplement their primary crop production, they can really be a value-added component.”