U.S. Texas faces worst cotton harvest in years due to drought, heat: report

HOUSTON, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The cotton industry in the south central U.S. state of Texas, which leads the country in cotton production, is facing its worst harvest in years due to drought and extreme heat, local media reported on Wednesday.

Cotton is Texas' largest crop and agricultural export. In a good year, cotton production can net 4 billion to 5 billion U.S. dollars for the state's High Plains region alone, which covers 42 counties stretching from Lubbock to the tip of Panhandle in the northwest, said a Texas Tribune report.