Highlights and Overviews

Horticultural crops. Agricultural land use in Texas consists of 130 to 165 million acres. Horticultural crops, on 600,000 acres provided the highest returns for growers and generated more than $860 million annually (Table 1). National summaries from the IR-4 office indicate that speciality crops provide 28% of all crop sales in Texas. Horticultural revenues come mostly from vegetables and onions, melons and fruits, and citrus and pecans, and nuts. Changes were noted in horticultural acreages compared to our 1997 report. Major reductions occurred in root and tuber crops, leafy vegetables, cole crops, and tree fruits. NAFTA, labor, and production economics now favor production in Mexico, with packing and shipping still being handled in Texas. But note that beans and peas, herbs and spices, and miscellaneous crops increased significantly - generally due to growth in consumer interests and urban markets.

Agronomic crops. Grain crops (wheat, corn, sorghum and others) and oil seed crops (cotton, peanuts, and soybeans) continue to dominate Texas’s crop-based economy (see Table 1 for general information and Table 15 for details). We included forage grasses and legumes (see Tables 16 and 17) since grazing lands and hay provide the basic feedstuffs for the beef and dairy industries.

Seed production. Seed was particularly interesting to note (see Table 21 for details). Several seedsmen and others provided key information which was cross verified. Although some seed acreage may be included in the general crop data, clearly the seed industry in Texas is a major component in Texas agriculture, generating close to $250 million for farmers and approaching three-quarters of a billion dollars (considering economic multipliers of 2.8 to 3.1) from the “value added” in processing, shipping, and sales outside the state.

Other segments. Several miscellaneous crops are shown in Table19. Horticultural food crops, such as wine grapes, aloe vera, and okra, fit niche markets. Other speciality crops, such as food-grade and pop corn, sugarcane, sesame, and sunflower, were included in the agronomic crop totals. Non-food crops (see Table 20), including the growing hemp market and wildlife food plots near hunting sites, approach $220,000 or more in value.

Regional production. Crop production statistics for each of the five regions are summarized in Table 2. The Lower Rio Grande Valley has the most intense horticultural production, followed by the Winter Garden (south and central area - see map). The vast acreages of grain and row crops in High Plains and Rolling Plains make up most of the 10.3 million acres in this area. More than 150,000 acres of vegetable, fruit, and other horticultural crops are grown in East Texas and should not be overshadowed by the large cow/calf/forage industry in that area.

Rankings - by acres and value. Horticultural crops were ranked for relative comparisons. While pecans and food grade corn led the 11 crops in the 15,000 to 160,000 acre group, 40 additional crops are grown in 500 acres or less, including several perennial tree crops (Table 3). When ranked by cash value, pecans, watermelons, onions, food grade corn, and potatoes led list and were in the $40,000 to $200,000 million group. These five crops generate over $0.5 billion in cash receipts. However, it should be noted that 32 other horticultural crops provide $1 to 10 million in annual sales and another 40 crops generate up to $1 million for producers.