By Julie Tomascik
Editor

Water, agricultural labor and the need to strengthen crop insurance were among the topics discussed at Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) policy development meetings across the state this fall.

Policy development meetings are part of the process to create the organization’s road map for the upcoming year, allowing members to surface and discuss potential policy changes.

“Farm Bureau is a grassroots organization, and the policy development meetings are essential to mapping out the organization’s priorities for the next year,” Brant Wilbourn, TFB associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities, said. “Each area of the state faces different issues, but they’re also important to all of agriculture and rural life across the state.”

About 645 county leaders representing nearly 151 counties were in attendance at the district meetings.

Farmers and ranchers noted water is a major concern in a state that is rapidly growing more urban.

The last few years have consisted of dry conditions and one of the most devastating drought years on record.

“We had one of the worst droughts last year, and Texas is still suffering from those drought conditions this year,” Wilbourn said. “Our water supply and water infrastructure are two major issues that farmers and ranchers are concerned about as more shopping centers, subdivisions and other developments replace agricultural land.”

Farmers and ranchers continue to struggle with finding enough workers for their operations, and data from the American Farm Bureau Federation confirms the serious shortage across most sectors of U.S. agriculture.

“It’s a tight farm labor market,” Wilbourn said. “It’s difficult to find workers for farms and ranches, but it’s also an issue that seems to be compounding and growing throughout all sectors of agriculture—trucking, food processing and harvesting, among others—as time continues.”

Federal crop insurance and strengthening that farm safety net was also among the topics discussed.

Crop insurance protects farmers from unavoidable risks associated with adverse weather such as crop losses and plant diseases, as well as insect infestations. Policies are designed to insure against a number of risks including revenue declines, yield losses and increased feeding costs for livestock.

“Crop insurance is a reliable risk management tool for farmers, especially at a time of heightened uncertainty in agriculture caused by natural disasters, trade disputes and supply chain issues,” Wilbourn said. “Farm Bureau members have expressed the need for the federal crop insurance program to continue and strengthening the safety net to ensure farmers and ranchers can continue to operate in these uncertain times.”

Additional policy topics covered included property taxes, ag valuation and the right to farm.

“There was very good discussion on a wide range of issues,” Wilbourn said. “Our policy book serves as the guide for Farm Bureau, and members are committed to making sure we cover topics relevant to agriculture today and in the future.”

County Farm Bureaus must submit policy resolutions that were adopted at their annual meeting to the state office by Oct. 27.

State and national policy proposals approved by county Farm Bureaus will be considered by the TFB Resolutions Committee in November.

The committee’s recommendations will then be forwarded to the TFB Annual Meeting in December for consideration by the voting delegates.