Texan farmers face same challenges

Texas may be a world apart from the UK in terms of the structure and methods of its agriculture, but Texan farmers face many of the same problems and issues as their British counterparts.

Addressing the Oxford Farming Conference on Thursday (3 January), Texan cattle rancher and former state commissioner for agriculture Susan Combs explained that farming was the second largest industry in the state.

It generated $85bn (£42bn) worth of revenue, accounting for almost 10% of gross state product. The range of products was diverse, with beef cattle accounting for over half of all output, followed by cotton, nursery crops, feed crops and poultry.

The state also boasted some of the largest ranches going, the King Ranch with 335,901ha (830,000 acres) and 22,000 mother cows being a prime example. In total there were 230,000 farms covering 52.6m ha (130m acres), with an average farm size of 228ha (564 acres).

Family farms

But there were also similarities with UK farms. “More than 90% of our agricultural operations are still run by individuals or families,” Mrs Combs explained. “And the average age of the principal farm operator in Texas is 59 years old.”

As for the challenges facing Texan farmers, population pressure, water scarcity and rising feed costs were among the most important.

“Texas ranches are being subdivided and sold to city people who want to escape to the country,” she said. This had led to friction.

“Relocated city folk were distressed to discover farming had some inconvenient aspects such as noise, odour and slow-moving machinery. They began to file nuisance suits.” State laws had been introduced to protect farmers.

Water shortages were also putting pressure on farmers and ranchers, with agriculture using 60% of the state’s supplies. Long-term plans called for reductions in water use by agriculture, Mrs Combs explained, and water markets were being developed.

Texan farmers were also directly affected by the effects of a growing renewable energy industry. While some farmers were benefiting from higher corn prices, this was having a negative impact on the cost of livestock feed. “We must carefully weigh the impact.”

Solutions

Despite these problems, Texan farmers were finding solutions.

Educating the public about the value of agriculture was key and farmers had been cultivating relations with students through the “Ag in the Classroom” programme since 1987. “Farmers’ markets also go a long way in bringing agriculture to urban residents,” said Mrs Combs.

A “Go Texan” campaign had also helped shoppers spot local food at a glance, a key initiative since surveys showed that 90% of Texans wanted to buy state-produced food.

There was also a growing emphasis on diversification. Nationally, over 80% of farm household income came from off-farm sources and Texas was no different, with ag-tourism playing an important part.

Bird and wildlife watching accounted for around $1.3bn in revenue to rural Texas, while hunting and shooting brought in $1.5bn.

Texan farmers face many of the same problems encountered by the UK’s farmers, says Susan Combs.