Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

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The Texas Commissioner of Agriculture is a state executive position in the Texas state government. The commissioner oversees a variety of programs aimed at promoting the agricultural economy and encouraging healthy living.

Current officeholder

The current officeholder is Todd Staples.

Authority

The Commissioners powers, term of office, etc. are derived from Chapter 11 of the Texas Agricultural Code.

Chapter 11 Section 1:

The Department of Agriculture is under the direction of the commissioner of agriculture, who is responsible for exercising the powers and performing the duties assigned to the department by this code or other law.

Qualifications

Chapter 11 of the Texas Agricultural Code establishes the requirements for office:

Section 5, Chapter 11:

To be eligible for election as commissioner or appointment to fill a vacancy in the office of commissioner, a person must: have been engaged, for at least five of the 10 years preceding the year in which the person is elected or appointed to the person's initial term, in the business of agriculture; have worked, for the five-year period preceding the calendar year in which the person is elected or appointed to the person's initial term, for a state or federal agency in a position directly related to agriculture; have owned or operated, for at least five of the 10 years preceding the year in which the person is elected or appointed to the person's initial term, farm, ranch, or timber land that qualifies for agricultural use appraisal under Subchapter C, Chapter 23, Tax Code, and be participating, in the calendar year in which the person is elected or appointed to the person's initial term, in a farm program administered by the federal Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service; or have worked, for at least five years at any time before the calendar year in which the person is elected or appointed to the person's initial term, for the Texas Agricultural Council, an organization that is a member of the Texas Agricultural Council, or another agricultural producer association.

Elections

The commissioner of agriculture is elected to a four-year term. In Texas, the commissioner is elected in 2010, 2014, and 2018.

Vacancies

Under Article 4, Section 12 of the state constitution, "all vacancies in State or district offices, except members of the Legislature, shall be filled unless otherwise provided by law by appointment of the Governor."

Duties

The commissioner of agriculture performs specific duties in several different areas:

Consumer Protection:

• Regulates all fuel pumps in Texas to ensure drivers get the correct quality and amount of fuel
• Regulates all weights and measures devices, such as grocery store scales and retail price scanners, to ensure consumers are charged advertised prices
• Regulates pesticide use and application from residential to commercial use
• Certifies organically-produced products to help ensure consumers have a reliable supply of organic products

Production Agriculture:

• Protects agricultural crops, such as citrus and cotton, from harmful pests and diseases
• Facilitates trade and market development of agricultural commodities ranging from livestock to crops to ensure Texas remains the nation's leader in the production of cattle, cotton, hay, sheep, wool, goats, mohair and horses
• Provides financial assistance to farmers and ranchers in the form of loan guarantees, interest rate reductions and even grants for young farmers
• Administers grant funds for agricultural research to develop new technologies
• Advocates for policies at the federal, state, and local level that are beneficial to the $106 billion agriculture sector, which comprises 10% of the Texas economy

Healthy Living:

• Administers the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs for Texas school children
• Fights obesity in Texas through a statewide campaign highlighting the 3E's of Healthy Living - *Education, Exercise and Eating Right
• Administers assistance to feed the hungry through the Texans Feeding Texans initiative

Economic Development:

• Provides tools for communities to attract businesses and pursue other economic development opportunities
• Offers infrastructure grants to rural communities
• Leads in the development of statewide broadband services
• Administers the Certified Retirement Community program to attract retirees to the second leading retirement state in the U.S.
• Markets Texas products, cultures and communities through the GO TEXAN branded campaign

Divisions

• Food and Nutrition Division
• Pesticide Programs Division
• Regulatory Division
• Rural Economic Development Division

Compensation

In 2010, the Texas Commissioner of Agriculture was paid an estimated $137,500 according to the Council of State Governments.

Contact information

Texas Department of Agriculture
1700 N. Congress, 11th Floor
Austin TX 78701

• Phone: (512) 463-7476
• TTY: (800) 735-2989
• Fax: (888) 223-8861
• E-mail:

Customer Relations

Public Information

Webmaster

See also

• Agriculture Commissioner
• Todd Staples

External links

Suggest a link

• Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)
• Commissioner Staples' official blog
• TDA on Facebook
• TDA on Twitter
• TDA Flickr photos
• TDA YouTube channel