Title AG, Agriculture Code

Sec. 43.004. APPLICATION OF GENERAL ELECTION LAW. Except as otherwise provided by this subchapter, the election shall be conducted in accordance with general law relating to county elections. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1094, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 43.005. ELECTION BALLOT. The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the proposition: "Establishment of a county experiment station." Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1094, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 43.006. ELECTION RETURNS. The election officers shall certify to the commissioners court the number of votes cast for each proposition. If the majority of votes are cast in favor of establishing a county experiment station, the commissioners court shall declare the result an…

Sec. 43.007. ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY. (a) The commissioners court shall acquire an amount of land reasonably expected to support an experiment station that will produce revenue sufficient to maintain the station, as determined by the court. The land and necessary improvements may…

Sec. 43.008. LOCATION. The experiment station shall be located at or as near the county seat as practicable. If no land is donated for the station within two miles of the county seat, the commissioners court may acquire land for the experiment station anywhere in the county, havi…

Sec. 43.009. SUPERVISION. (a) The experiment station shall be operated in cooperation with, and in a manner similar to, state experiment stations. The director of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at College Station shall advise the county in the operation of the county's…

Sec. 43.010. SUPPLIES AND IMPROVEMENTS. The commissioners court shall supply the experiment station with all necessary buildings, equipment, and materials and shall provide for needed improvements. In addition, the commissioners court shall supply stock, including work stock and …

Sec. 43.011. LABOR. With the advice and approval of the commissioners court, the director may employ labor necessary to the operation of the experiment station. The county may not maintain paupers on the experiment station or permit them to work on the station. Acts 1981, 67th Le…

Sec. 43.012. RECORDS. The director shall keep a complete and accurate record of: (1) rainfall, temperature, winds, and general climatic conditions; (2) the planting, cultivation, and marketing of all crops; and (3) the management and observation of the station and the station's l…

Sec. 43.013. ANNUAL REPORT. The director shall make an annual report to the commissioners court detailing the methods employed and results received on the county experiment station. With approval of the commissioners court, the county shall publish the report and mail it without …

Sec. 43.014. PUBLIC INSPECTION AND INFORMATION. (a) The director shall at all reasonable times keep the experiment station open to public inspection. (b) The director shall disseminate information to the public explaining the manner and methods of preparation, soil culture, culti…

Sec. 43.015. SALE OF PRODUCTS. (a) In accordance with the rules of the commissioners court, the director shall market and sell the products of the experiment station. (b) The director shall remit proceeds from the sale of products to the county treasurer, who shall deposit the pr…

Sec. 43.016. EXPENSES. On warrants drawn by the director and approved by the county judge, the county shall pay all expenses incurred in the operation of the experiment station, including the cost of labor and the director's salary, out of its general funds. Acts 1981, 67th Leg.,…

Sec. 43.017. LEASE OF STATION. (a) The commissioners court may not lease or allow to be leased an experiment station acquired by donation. (b) The commissioners court may lease an experiment station acquired by purchase under Section 43.007(b) of this code to the state or to any …

Sec. 43.031. DEMONSTRATION WORK. The commissioners court of any county may establish and conduct cooperative demonstration work in agriculture and home economics in cooperation with Texas A & M University. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1096, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 43.032. TERMS OF AGREEMENT WITH TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY. The demonstration work shall be conducted on terms and conditions agreed to by the commissioners court and the agents of Texas A & M University. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1096, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 43.033. EXPENSES. The commissioners court may employ any means and may appropriate and expend money as necessary to establish and conduct demonstration work under this subchapter. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1096, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981. SUBCHAPTER C. RAILWAY EXPER…

Sec. 43.051. ESTABLISHMENT. For the purpose of aiding in the development of the agricultural and horticultural resources of Texas, any railway corporation operating in Texas may acquire, maintain, and operate or cause to be operated demonstration and experiment farms, orchards, a…

Sec. 43.052. METHOD OF ACQUISITION. A railway corporation may acquire a farm, orchard, or garden by lease or purchase. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1096, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 43.053. NUMBER AND ACREAGE LIMITATIONS. (a) A farm, orchard, or garden established under this subchapter may not exceed 1,000 acres in size. (b) A railway corporation may not own or control more than four farms, orchards, or gardens under this subchapter. Acts 1981, 67th Leg…

Sec. 44.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Eligible lending institution" means a financial institution that makes commercial loans, is either a depository of state funds or an institution of the Farm Credit System headquartered in this state, and agrees to participate in the…

Sec. 44.002. CREATION OF MICROENTERPRISE PROGRAMS. The board shall create a microenterprise support program to provide financial assistance to microenterprises in rural areas. Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 32, art. 1, Sec. 1, eff. Nov. 3, 1987. Amended by Acts 1989…

Sec. 44.0045. MICROENTERPRISE SUPPORT PROGRAM LOANS. (a) The board shall administer a loan program supporting established and proposed microenterprises in rural areas by providing loans to expand, modernize, or otherwise improve established microenterprises and to begin operation…

Sec. 44.007. INTEREST RATE REDUCTION PROGRAM. (a) The board shall establish an interest rate reduction program to foster the: (1) creation and expansion of enterprises based on agriculture in this state; or (2) development or expansion of businesses in rural areas of this state. …

Sec. 44.008. COMPLIANCE. (a) On accepting a linked deposit, an eligible lending institution must loan money to eligible borrowers in accordance with the deposit agreement and this chapter. The eligible lending institution shall forward a compliance report to the board. (b) The bo…

Sec. 44.009. STATE LIABILITY PROHIBITED. The state is not liable to an eligible lending institution for payment of the principal, interest, or any late charges on a loan made to an eligible borrower. A delay in payment or default on a loan by an eligible borrower does not affect …

Sec. 44.010. LIMITATIONS IN PROGRAM. (a) At any one time, not more than $30 million may be placed in linked deposits under this chapter. (b) The maximum amount of a loan under this chapter is $500,000. (c) A loan granted pursuant to this chapter may be used for any agriculture-re…

Sec. 44.012. MONEY FOR LOANS. The board may accept gifts and grants of money from the federal government, local governments, or private corporations or other persons for use in making loans under the rural microenterprise support program. The legislature may appropriate money for…

Sec. 44.013. RURAL MICROENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT FUND. The rural microenterprise development fund is a fund in the comptroller's office. Money appropriated to the board for use in making loans under the rural microenterprise support program, other amounts received by the state for …

Sec. 44A.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Board" means the board of directors of the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority. (2) "Microenterprise" means a small business in which the owner operates the enterprise. (3) "Urban area" means an area inside the boundaries of a mun…

Sec. 44A.002. CREATION OF URBAN FARM MICROENTERPRISE SUPPORT PROGRAM. (a) The board shall create an urban farm microenterprise support program to provide financial assistance to microenterprises in urban areas that are primarily engaged in: (1) research into processes and technol…

Sec. 44A.003. URBAN FARM MICROENTERPRISE SUPPORT PROGRAM LOANS. (a) On the receipt of gifts and grants of money under Section 44A.004, the board shall establish and implement a loan program supporting established and proposed urban farm microenterprises in urban areas by providin…

Sec. 44A.004. MONEY FOR LOANS. The board may accept gifts and grants of money from the federal government, local governments, or private corporations or other persons for use in making loans under the urban farm microenterprise support program. Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S.…

Sec. 44A.005. URBAN FARM MICROENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT FUND. The urban farm microenterprise development fund is a fund in the comptroller's office. The following shall be deposited to the credit of the fund: (1) amounts received by the state for loans made under the urban farm micr…

Sec. 45.001. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; PURPOSE. (a) The legislature finds that Texas and Israel have many interests in common. They face many of the same difficulties in agriculture; the geography of both areas produces semiarid climatic conditions; there is present in both areas a r…

Sec. 45.002. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "applied research" means the process of assembling knowledge gained by careful and diligent search and studious inquiry and examination and using that knowledge to solve practical, real-world problems. Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1…

Sec. 45.005. GENERAL FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES. (a) The department may establish a binational program to support joint agricultural research and development with Israel. The scope of agricultural research and development which the program may promote and support encompasses a…

Sec. 45.007. FINANCING. (a) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 506, Sec. 3.07(b)(4), eff. September 1, 2009. (b) The department may accept gifts and grants from the federal government, state government, and private sources, as well as legislative appropriations to carry …

Sec. 46.001. FINDINGS. The legislature finds that this state needs a Texas agricultural product promotion program to increase consumer awareness of Texas agricultural products and expand the markets for Texas agricultural products. The legislature further finds that the Texas Dep…

Sec. 46.002. DEFINITION. In this chapter "Texas agricultural product" means an agricultural, apicultural, horticultural, silvicultural, viticultural, or vegetable product, either in its natural or processed state, that has been produced, processed, or otherwise had value added to…

Sec. 46.003. GENERAL AUTHORITY. The Texas Department of Agriculture shall establish and maintain the "Go Texan" Partner Program to encourage the development and expansion of markets for Texas agricultural products through participation of eligible applicants who provide funds to …

Sec. 46.004. ELIGIBLE APPLICANT. An eligible applicant must be: (1) a state or regional organization or board that promotes the marketing and sale of Texas agricultural products and does not stand to profit directly from specific sales of agricultural commodities; (2) a cooperati…

Sec. 46.005. DEPARTMENT POWERS AND DUTIES. The department shall administer the "Go Texan" Partner Program. The duties of the department in administering the program include: (1) developing procedures for acceptance and administration of funds received to administer the program, i…

Sec. 46.006. REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION. To be eligible for participation in the program through the use of matching funds under this chapter, an organization must: (1) be an eligible applicant under Section 46.004 of this chapter; (2) prepare and submit a project request and…

Sec. 46.007. PROJECT REQUESTS. (a) A project request submitted by an eligible participant must describe the advertising or other market-oriented promotional activities to be carried out by the department using matching funds. (b) The department may not approve a project request s…

Sec. 46.008. "GO TEXAN" PARTNER PROGRAM ACCOUNT. (a) The "Go Texan" partner program account is an account in the general revenue fund. The account is composed of: (1) legislative appropriations; (2) gifts, grants, donations, and matching funds received under Subsection (b); (3) m…