need for a balanced approach<\/a> that supports both agricultural production and population growth.<\/p>\nLand use and property rights
The continued loss of agricultural land to development is another issue TFB is closely monitoring.<\/p>\n
As Texas grows, farmland and ranchland are increasingly converted to residential and commercial uses. In addition to reduced acreage, farmers and ranchers face rising land values and increased pressure on property taxes. Those changes can make it more difficult to maintain or expand ag operations.<\/p>\n
Interim charges, Beck said, will examine land use trends, property rights and policies that impact the ability of farmers and ranchers to operate.<\/p>\n
\u201cTFB continues to advocate for policies that protect private property rights, preserve working lands and reduce conflicts between agricultural operations and new neighbors,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Invasive species threats
Interim charges direct lawmakers to evaluate prevention and response efforts for invasive species, including the threat of New World screwworm.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers will review the state\u2019s preparedness levels, response planning, coordination among agencies and available tools to protect animal agriculture.<\/p>\n
\u201cProtecting animal health is critical to the stability of our food supply and rural economy,\u201d Beck said. \u201cWe need strong, coordinated efforts to respond quickly and effectively to any threat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regulatory environment, input challenges
Additional charges focus on regulatory oversight of agricultural programs and the broader regulatory environment.<\/p>\n
That includes a review of funding and implementation of key programs, such as those administered through the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority (TAFA).<\/p>\n
TFB is advocating for the re-appropriation of $100 million in funding for TAFA programs aimed at strengthening agricultural production in the Lone Star State.<\/p>\n
Farmers and ranchers continue to face rising input costs and regulatory uncertainty at both the state and federal levels. Lawmakers will review how policies impact production agriculture and identify ways to improve efficiency and reduce unnecessary burdens.<\/p>\n
TFB has consistently called for regulatory certainty and practical policies that allow farmers and ranchers to remain competitive.<\/p>\n
Setting the stage for the next session <\/p>\n
Committee findings and recommendations developed during the interim studies will help shape legislation in the next session.<\/p>\n
TFB will remain engaged throughout the process, providing input and sharing the perspective of farmers and ranchers across the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese discussions lay the groundwork for future decisions and policy,\u201d Beck said. \u201cIt is important agriculture has a seat at the table throughout the process, and Farm Bureau will continue working with lawmakers to ensure agriculture\u2019s voice is heard and the needs of rural Texas are addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Julie TomascikEditor Texas lawmakers will take a closer look at several issues impacting farmers and ranchers as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":281297,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[40459,86415,103753,27,29,28],"class_list":["post-281296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-legislature","tag-interim-charges","tag-priorities","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/281297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}