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.
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. It also has units for legal, administrative, financial, communications, audit, and policy functions. TDA employs approximately 700 staff, about half in Austin and half working at the department’s regional offices, livestock export facilities, and laboratories.
Agricultural Regulation
TDA regulates crops and transport to prevent pests and disease through inspections and quarantines.1 In severe circumstances, TDA has limited authority to destroy plants or crops to suppress pests and diseases, such as citrus greening and citrus canker.2
Nutrition Assistance
TDA administers state and federal nutrition programs, providing free or reduced-cost meals and distributing fresh produce.3
Consumer Protection
TDA inspects eggs, seeds, and organic products and regulates pesticide use. Additionally, TDA inspects the calibration of commercial weighing and measuring devices, such as grocery store scales, to protect consumers from potential fraud.4
Rural Development
TDA supports farmers with loan guarantees, interest rate reductions, and young farmer grants. It also funds rural infrastructure and healthcare projects.
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.5 The program supports its members with promotional tools, marketing opportunities, and brand strategies.
Commodity Producers Boards
TDA oversees 11 commodity producers boards, which encourage the production, marketing, and use of specific agricultural commodities. These boards are funded by fees from producers and focus 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.6 Landowners who use a licensed burn manager to conduct a prescribed burn are afforded statutory liability protections.7
Sources and Citations
- “Regulatory Programs,” TDA website. ↩︎
- Texas Agriculture Code §§ 71.0091–71.0092 ↩︎
- https://www.squaremeals.org, TDA affiliate site. ↩︎
- “Weights and Measures Program,” TDA website. ↩︎
- https://www.gotexan.org, TDA affiliate site. ↩︎
- “Prescribed Burn Program,” TDA website. ↩︎
- Texas Natural Resources Code § 153.081 ↩︎
