Texas Department of Agriculture

What does the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) do? From A to Z: Learn about the Texas Department of Agriculture:[View](https://indd.adobe.com/view/d0b25368-fdcd-4848-b7e7-cdb5d8ddc962) a small booklet that describes and defines over 101 things that TDA does for the state of Texas. Consumer Protection: - 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