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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas continues to endure substantial |
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economic losses due to a prolonged drought that has crippled the |
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state for nearly two years; the loss of crops and livestock and |
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drought-induced fires have left the state's farmers and ranchers in |
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desperate need of continued federal assistance to offset the losses |
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suffered as a result of this natural disaster; and |
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WHEREAS, The drought has cost the state nearly $2.5 billion |
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in total crop loss, more than $1 billion of which is attributed to a |
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decrease in the cotton harvest, the state's number one cash crop; in |
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addition, the latest forecasts for 2006 show the state's wheat |
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harvest has decreased by more than 60 percent, corn production is |
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down by 26 percent, soybean production has decreased by more than 30 |
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percent, and the state's production of peanuts and sorghum is |
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expected to be down by 40 percent; and |
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WHEREAS, An estimated $1.6 billion in livestock losses, as |
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well as the rising cost of hay and supplemental feed, have forced |
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many ranchers to sell their cattle earlier than anticipated, which |
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will undoubtedly cause a decrease in the beef supply for several |
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years; all told, the total agricultural loss to the state stands at |
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more than $4 billion; and |
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WHEREAS, This dire economic impact is shared by the |
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businesses that support the agriculture community, specifically |
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those in rural areas, where projections estimate the loss to be |
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nearly $8 billion; the businesses affected include those that |
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provide equipment or machinery, supplies, feed, and professional |
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services such as veterinarians; and |
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WHEREAS, Adding insult to injury, the drought has resulted in |
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more than 21,000 fires, burning in excess of two million acres |
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between January and November, 2006, and contributing to the loss of |
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5,000 miles of fence and 5,000 cattle in the Panhandle alone; the |
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fires in the northern regions of the state have certainly |
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contributed to the diminution in hay production, and the United |
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States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that 77 percent |
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of Texas' hay production was lost during the same period; and |
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WHEREAS, To alleviate this financial burden, the Texas |
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Department of Agriculture will administer a total of $16.1 million |
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in assistance received from the USDA to eligible livestock |
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producers in 216 drought-stressed counties, but with more than $12 |
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billion in total economic loss as a direct result of the drought, |
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more assistance is needed; the devastation to crops and livestock |
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in the number two agricultural state in the nation has put a |
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financial strain on Texas farmers and ranchers, and it is |
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imperative that the federal government continue to assist the |
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individuals and families that have suffered during this time; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to |
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provide further drought relief to Texas; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the |
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senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the |
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Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this |
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resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |