Texas has lost almost 2 million acres of working land to development, according to a recent report

A new land trend report out of Texas A&M shows that over the last five years, nearly 1.8 million acres of working land have been developed. Grazing lands account for the majority of that loss.

Since 1997, over 6 million acres of grazing land have been converted to other land uses, but the report was not all bad news: over the last 25 years, wildlife management acres grew from just 94,000 acres to over 7 million. And while the state may have lost more than 17,000 agricultural operations over the last five years, it is still home to 2,500 more than in 1997.

Related Stories
Tight cattle supplies continue to drive lower beef output despite heavier weights.
WTO gauges point to agricultural raw materials trade growing more slowly than overall goods, reinforcing the need to manage export risk and monitor policy shifts closely.
Kip Eideberg with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers details its campaign spotlighting the people who build equipment vital to farming and food manufacturing.
Improved export prospects and higher crop prices strengthened future expectations despite continued caution about spending.
While the agriculture industry hoped details on proposed “bridge” payments for farmers would be released this week, Ag Secretary Brook Rollins said the USDA is still working with the White House on the finer points.
Federal lawyers submitted a brief this week backing Bayer’s argument that federal laws governing herbicides like Roundup should prevent lawsuits over the popular chemical.