AUSTIN, Texas (RFD News) — Texas agriculture leaders say more work is needed to encourage younger generations to pursue careers in farming and ranching as the industry continues facing an aging producer population.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller recently spoke with RFD-TV about efforts underway to attract younger people to agriculture, including scholarship and grant programs aimed at helping first-generation producers enter the industry.
Miller says programs connected to organizations like FFA and 4-H are also playing a major role in introducing young people to agriculture and helping develop future industry leaders.
“You know, when this country was founded, 95% of the people were farmers or ranchers because if you didn’t grow it or kill it, you didn’t eat.” Miller continued, “Today, we make up less than one and a half percent. So that’s, you know, the average age of the American farmer and rancher is about 60 years old.”
U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, whose South Texas district has strong agricultural ties, says rising input costs and a lack of interest from younger generations are creating additional challenges for family operations.
“When petroleum goes up, oil goes up, fertilizer goes up. So the, you know, the input is becoming more expensive, and the output becomes a little harder if you don’t have the right prices. But the other thing is we’re just losing a lot of the young people that are not interested.”
Cuellar says many family farms and ranches are struggling to pass operations down to the next generation, something he believes could eventually lead to increased corporate consolidation within agriculture.
Miller, however, says the trend in Texas looks somewhat different, pointing to growing interest from retirees and professionals purchasing smaller rural properties and entering agriculture later in life.
He adds that while some farms are being sold to larger operations, the majority of American farms still remain family-run.
Frank McCaffrey reporting for RFD News.
