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Overview
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is a state agency that promotes agricultural production, regulates the transportation and storage of certain consumer products, and administers a number of trade initiatives and welfare programs.
TDA is headquartered in Austin and has five regional service offices, two sub-offices, three laboratories, and five livestock exports facilities.
Established in 1907, the department’s responsibilities have expanded significantly over time, including the absorption of the Department of Rural Affairs and the State Office of Rural Health in 2011, and transfer of responsibility for the national school lunch program from the Texas Education Agency in 2003.
Elected Commissioner
The Texas Department of Agriculture is headed by an elected Commissioner of Agriculture, who is chosen in a statewide general election and serves a 4-year term.
Texas is one of about 12 states that have elected commissioners of agriculture (the others are appointed by governors).
To be eligible to serve as agriculture commissioner in Texas, a candidate must have engaged in the business of agriculture for at last 5 of the past 10 years, or own or operate a ranch, or have worked for at least 5 years in a government position related to agriculture, or have worked for an agricultural producer association or the Texas Agricultural Council.
The current Texas Commissioner of Agriculture is Sid Miller, who defeated Susan Hays in the 2022 election for the position.
| Candidate | Party | Vote | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sid Miller | Republican | 4,480,186 | 56.3 |
| Susan Hays | Democrat | 3,473,603 | 43.7 |
Agency Staff and Structure
The Department of Agriculture has three major divisions: Trade and Business Development; Food and Nutrition; and Agriculture and Consumer Protection. These divisions are further subdivided into different programs and specializations.
Additionally, the department has offices for business operations (legal services, administrative serves, and financial services), communications, internal audit, and policy and legislative affairs.
Advisory committees provide input to the department on various programs.
In total, TDA employs approximately 700 staff, half of whom are based in Austin and half of whom work at the department’s regional offices, livestock export facilities, and laboratories. The regional offices are located in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Lubbock, and San Juan.
“TDA’s mission is to partner with all Texans to make Texas the nation’s leader in agriculture, fortify our economy, empower rural communities, promote healthy lifestyles, market Texas products, provide biosecurity, provide consumer protection, and cultivate winning strategies for rural, suburban, and urban Texas through exceptional service and the common threads of agriculture in our daily lives.”
Mission Statement of the Texas Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Regulation
The Texas Department of Agriculture regulates the growth and transport of agricultural crops and products to prevent the spread of pests and diseases in Texas through inspections, enforcing quarantines, and similar activities. In severe circumstances, TDA has limited authority to destroy plants or crops to suppress pests and diseases, such as citrus greening and citrus canker.
Nutrition Assistance
TDA administers several federal and state nutrition programs in partnership with public and private organizations throughout the state. Some nutrition programs provide free or reduced-cost meals and snacks, and others are commodity programs that distribute fresh fruits and vegetables. In fiscal year 2019, TDA served 2.8 million children daily through the National School Lunch Program, and distributed 192.8 million pounds of commodities to Texas schools and child care facilities through the USDA Food Distribution Program.
Consumer Protection
TDA inspects eggs, seeds, and organic products to ensure consumers are receiving goods as advertised. The department also regulates pesticide applicators to ensure restricted-use pesticides are safely handled. Additionally, TDA inspects the calibration of commercial weighing and measuring devices, such as grocery store scales, to guarantee accuracy in transactions and protect consumers from potential fraud.
Rural Development
TDA provides financial assistance to Texas farmers and ranchers in the form of loan guarantees, interest rate reductions, and grants for young farmers. TDA also administers grant funds for community development and infrastructure improvement projects targeted to rural Texas communities, hospitals, and healthcare facilities.
Agriculture Promotion
TDA runs a membership-based marketing program, GO TEXAN, to promote a wide range of Texas agricultural products in local, national, and international markets. The program showcases a diverse range of products, from fresh produce to artisanal goods, emphasizing the quality and sustainability of Texas agriculture. GO TEXAN supports its members with promotional tools, marketing opportunities, and brand recognition strategies.
Commodity Producers Boards
TDA oversees 11 commodity producers boards, which encourage the production, marketing, and use of specific agricultural commodities. These boards are instrumental in coordinating research and education initiatives aimed at disease, insect, and predator control, benefiting Texas producers. All boards are funded exclusively by assessments paid by commodity producers, ensuring their focus remains on industry-specific issues.
Prescribed Burning Board
The Prescribed Burning Board regulates the practice of prescribed burning in Texas by setting education, experience, and insurance requirements and issuing certifications for burn managers and lead burn instructors. The 13-member board certified 92 burn managers and 18 lead burn instructors in fiscal year 2019. Landowners who use a licensed burn manager to conduct a prescribed burn are afforded statutory liability protections.
Texas Cooperative Inspection Program
The department and USDA jointly created and currently oversee the Texas Cooperative Inspection Program (TCIP) as a quasi-governmental body through a cooperative agreement. TCIP inspects produce grown in Texas or transported into the state to uphold USDA marketing orders, which establish minimum quality standards that produce must meet to enter the market. The program is funded by fees paid by producers for TCIP inspections. In fiscal year 2019, TCIP staff inspected more than 3.8 billion pounds of fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
