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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, The observance of National Agriculture Day on |
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| 8 | 9 | | March 18, 2025, reminds Americans of the vital importance of this |
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| 9 | 10 | | sector of the United States economy; and |
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| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, America's farmers and ranchers are renowned the |
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| 11 | 12 | | world over for their productivity; on average, each farm in the |
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| 12 | 13 | | U.S. produces food and fiber for 169 people annually, including 108 |
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| 13 | 14 | | in the United States and 61 abroad; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, In other countries, consumers spend substantially |
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| 15 | 16 | | more of their disposable income on food than do Americans; food |
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| 16 | 17 | | eaten at home costs U.S. residents under 7 percent of income, while |
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| 17 | 18 | | in China, for instance, the cost is 20 percent of income, and in |
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| 18 | 19 | | Mexico, the cost is 26 percent; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Texas plays an instrumental role in American |
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| 20 | 21 | | agriculture; the state's economic impact in the food and fiber |
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| 21 | 22 | | sector totals around $100 billion, and 86 percent of the land in the |
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| 22 | 23 | | Lone Star State is in some form of agricultural production; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, The state's stature is especially notable in |
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| 24 | 25 | | livestock; Texas ranks as the national leader in the number of |
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| 25 | 26 | | cattle and calves and in the total number of cattle operations, and |
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| 26 | 27 | | it is also the top producer of sheep, goats, mohair, and horses; |
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| 27 | 28 | | moreover, Texas leads the country in the production of cotton and |
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| 28 | 29 | | hay and also markets large amounts of vegetables, citrus, corn, |
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| 29 | 30 | | wheat, peanuts, pecans, sorghum, and rice; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, More than 98 percent of Texas' agricultural |
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| 31 | 32 | | operations are still run by individuals or families; the economic |
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| 32 | 33 | | impact of these businesses is enhanced by the number of jobs they |
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| 33 | 34 | | produce, with agriculture employing one out of every seven working |
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| 34 | 35 | | Texans; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, The continued vitality of American agriculture is |
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| 36 | 37 | | crucial to the strength of our economy and to the quality of life of |
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| 37 | 38 | | people all across the country, and the essential contributions made |
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| 38 | 39 | | by U.S. farmers are indeed deserving of special recognition; now, |
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| 39 | 40 | | therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 41 | 42 | | Legislature hereby recognize March 18, 2025, as National |
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| 42 | 43 | | Agriculture Day at the State Capitol. |
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