January 7, 2000

Bob Stallman of Columbus was re-elected to his seventh consecutive one-year term as president of the Texas Farm Bureau as the 66th convention of the state’s largest farm organization drew to a close on Dec. 1.

"It’s been a great honor to serve this organization as your president," Stallman said upon the unanimous vote. "I will spend 110 percent of my efforts to work within this organization to meet the challenges facing agriculture."

Citing the need for an aggressive approach at the national level on behalf of farmers and ranchers, Stallman reaffirmed his intentions to run for American Farm Bureau Federation president at that organization’s January convention in Houston.

U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs also made remarks to voting delegates.

During the three-day convention, the organization retained its support of the rule-of-capture doctrine with respect to groundwater, but growing concerns of misuse of water resources, driven by a more urban state, opened the door for consideration of other plans to protect water for ag use.

In other action, delegates supported the classification of timber as an agricultural crop; the uniformity of state and federal regulations and inspections of fruits and vegetables produced in and imported into Texas and the U.S.; and country-of-origin labeling of all foreign products imported into Texas.

Delegates passed a number of issues relating to profitability in agriculture on the convention’s final day.

Delegates pressed for more open markets abroad, insisting that must occur for the Freedom to Farm Act to work.

In a similar vein, delegates recommended that the American Farm Bureau Federation step up efforts to eliminate embargoes of food and medicine to all countries. They also expressed concern about illegal livestock imports through Mexico or other countries, and urged the appropriate agencies to stop these imports.

Delegates also urged that a counter-cyclical safety net be implemented to allow a profitable return to agricultural producers until commodity prices show a fair return for producers’ efforts. In addition, they supported equal funding for livestock in any disaster assistance program. On the state level, they supported legislation to reimburse agricultural producers for loss of inputs caused by natural disasters.

In other action, delegates:

• Urged the Texas Department of Transportation to increase the budget for farm-to-market road maintenance.

• Encouraged railroads to provide adequate funding for maintenance and construction of rural railroads in Texas.

• Supported a flat tax or consumption tax provided it is fair to ag producers; is based on net income; is implemented simultaneously with the elimination of the capital gains and estate taxes; and is revenue neutral.

Reelected as vice president at the end of the convention was Donald Patman of Waxahachie. Delmas McCormick of Floydada was re-elected as secretary-treasurer.

Three new TFB directors (see story, below) were elected to replace directors who had served the maximum three consecutive two-year terms.