lonestar Report
L ones tar Repo rt Agricultural news around the State of Texas
Weather Conditions 2011 set a record high number for being the driest year in Texas history. A hot summer with little to no rain fall has many concerned that 2022 could be even worse. Over half of the state of Texas has been facing drought conditions all year. Even though there has been some rainfall, most of the soil is dry and hard, and many producers experienced water runoff. Long periods of heat and dry weather lead to crop loss, heat stress, limited feed for livestock, and an increased risk for wildfires. Victor Murphy, a climate service program manager for NOAA, said, “If you go long enough without any rainfall, the ground becomes bone dry, so whatever heat comes down, it just radiates back up. I think the state of Texas as a whole right now is very susceptible to that, and that’s what happened in 2011 too.” Along with this, these weather conditions can potentially cause significant issues with the Texas High Plains’ cash crop. The high plains produce 66% of Texas’s cotton and cottonseed and produce 30% for the U.S. In 2011 the loss of crops and livestock was approximately $7.62 billion. As of July 8th, Governor Abbot declared 164 Texas counties 14
are in extreme drought. This declaration states that producers will not be harmed for managing their crops during the drought. Texas Sunset Commission Every two years the Sunset Commission reviews state agencies to determine whether the agency is operating as intended and ensure there is no duplication or overlap with another agency. The Sunset process works by setting an automatic termination (Sunset) date in state law on which an agency will be abolished unless the Legislature passes a bill to continue it, typically for another 12 years. This cycle the Commission is reviewing 21 agencies. Majority of these agencies under review pertain to water. The Texas Water Development Board, Texas Soil and Water Conservation Board, San Antonio River Authority, and State Water Implementation Fund for Texas Advisory Committee are just a few mentioned on the list. Others on the list include the Office of Public Utility Counsel, Texas Juvenile Justice Department, Office of State-Federal Relations, Texas Economic Development and Tourism office, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, State Board of
