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Texas Commodity Symposium will address impact of irrigationTexas The ninth annual Texas Commodity Symposium will focus on an issue that seems to be on everyone's mind--water. Nearly 40 percent of the crops grown on the Texas High Plains are irrigated, making irrigation a vital portion of the region's economy. Thanks to better crop varieties and water conservation practices, farmers are now able to produce more using less water. The impact of the region's total crop production to the regional and state economies is estimated at $2.1 billion and $2.2 billion respectively. How important is irrigation to the economic activity of the High Plains? According to Darren Hudson, professor and Larry Combest Chair for Agricultural Competitiveness, irrigation directly contributes $1.6 billion to the economy of the High Plains, and indirectly contributes $2.5 billion to the area. Approximately 16,000 jobs can be attributed to irrigation, which is worth $630 million in regional income. There are also several unmeasured positive impacts of irrigation, such as property values and tax bases in rural areas, which are all tied to the regional economic activity and activity in population centers like Amarillo, Hudson said. Hudson will address the positive impacts of irrigation on the economy of the High Plains at this year's symposium. He will be joined by a panel of Amarillo and Texas Panhandle businessmen and community/regional representatives who will discuss ways to address the challenges facing water conservation, agriculture, rural communities, and urban populations to promote and protect the long-term viability of this key economic base for the region. The Texas Commodity Symposium will be held in conjunction with the Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show in the Grand Plaza Room at the Amarillo Civic Center. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the Symposium will begin at 9 a.m. The event is free to all and will conclude with a catered lunch at noon. There will also be a Washington Perspective on issues such as indirect land use, cap and trade and health care, and updates from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency. The symposium is hosted by Corn Producers of Texas, Texas Grain Sorghum Association, Texas Wheat Producers Association, Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., and the Texas Peanut Producers Board. Everyone is invited to attend. For more information, contact Lindsay West Kennedy, communications director for the Corn Producers Association of Texas at 806-763-2676 or at lindsay@texascorn.org.
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