The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (FAIR Act) introduces several significant changes to farm commodity legislation. While these changes impact all program commodities, they have prompted considerable concern for the future of the Texas rice industry. Changes in the farm...

The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (FAIR Act) introduces several significant changes to farm commodity legislation. While these changes impact all program commodities, they have prompted considerable concern for the future of the Texas cotton industry. Changes in the farm...

The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (FAIR Act) introduces several significant changes to farm commodity legislation. While these changes impact all program commodities, they have prompted considerable concern for the future of the Texas grain industry. Changes in the farm...

The Governor of Texas has proposed a tax reform that lowers property tax and eliminates the franchise tax. The lost revenues are replaced by raising the sales tax and instituting a modified value-added tax. The issues are not unique to Texas, many states are considering tax issues. The current...

The 1996 and 2002 farm bills moved government support toward decoupled tools rather than support coupled to production and/or prices. This paper analyzes whether areas with more production risk would prefer decoupled or coupled support. The results indicate areas with more yield risk would...

The 2002 Farm Bill provided the one time opportunity to update base acres and counter-cyclical payment yields to more closely reflect their current crops, rotations and yield levels. This paper discusses the available options and provides case study examples to illustrate the complexity of this...

The Ogallala Aquifer is the primary source of water for irrigation in the Texas High Plains. Depletion of the aquifer concerns stakeholders as agriculture is a major driver in the regional economy. This study examines the contribution of irrigation to income, economic output, and employment in...

Witnessing a rapid surge in irrigation requirements as well as the pressure on natural resources to augment production for satisfying grain demand for the growing human and livestock population, ground water supply in the Texas Panhandle reflects itself as a limiting yet indispensable factor....