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October 19, 2001

The four property tax propositions include:

• Proposition 3: Authorizes ad valorem tax exemption for raw cocoa and green coffee held in Harris County.

• Proposition 10: Authorizes ad valorem tax exemption for goods in transit.

• Proposition 12: Eliminates duplicative and obsolete provisions from the Constitution.

• Proposition 14: Authorizes ad valorem tax exemption for travel trailers.
Source: Statement, Carole Keeton Rylander, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Sept., 2000

U.S. ag exports forecast positive
U.S. agricultural exports are forecast to increase to $57 billion in fiscal 2002, up 7 percent from the current $53.5 billion estimate for fiscal 2001.

Projected improvement in major bulk commodities such as corn, wheat, and cotton accounts for much of the increase. Bulk commodity export volume is forecast at 119.3 million metric tons, the highest level in six years.
Source: Doane's Agricultural Report, Sept. 7, 2001

Farm export dollars stimulate U.S. economy
U.S. agricultural exports in calendar year 2000 generated employment, income, and purchasing power in both the farm and non farm sectors.

Each farm export dollar earned stimulated another $1.47 in business activity. The $51.6 billion of U.S. farm exports in 2000 generated 740,000 full-time civilian jobs, including 444,000 jobs in the non-farm sector. Farmers' purchases of fuel, fertilizer, and other inputs for export production spurred economic activity in the manufacturing, trade and transportation sectors.

Production from more than a third of U.S. cropland moved into export channels in 2000. Exports generated $127.3 billion in business activity—$51.6 billion from exports and $75.7 billion from supporting activities.
Source: USDA, U.S. Agricultural Trade Update, Aug. 27, 2001

Report: Crop land stable since WWII
A report prepared by Doane's Agricultural Report examining data from 1945 to 1997 to evaluate the impact of competing uses such as urban sprawl, new highways, parks, etc., on crop land, shows the nation's total crop land base has been remarkably stable since World War II.

In 1997, U.S. farmers cropped 349 million acres, down 4 percent from 1945, but well above the acreage cropped in the1960s. Total land available for cropping hasn't changed significantly since 1945. The total U.S. crop land base is 456 million acres, which includes land idled by government programs, and pasture classified as suitable for crops. Crop land accounts for about 24 percent of the total land mass in the contiguous 48 states.

Grass land used for pasture and range is the largest usage category, accounting for 578 million acres, or 30 percent of the total U.S. land base. Since 1945, pasture and range land has fallen by 82 million acres, a decline of more than 12 percent. Much of that decline reflects shifts to urban and recreational uses.

Forest-use land is the second largest classification at 29 percent of the total land base. This includes land used for parks and wildlife areas. Land in the forest usage category declined from slightly over 600 million acres in 1945 to 553 million acres in 1997. The 8 percent decline is not reflective of deforestation, but most likely represents re-classification of land for parks and other recreational purposes—both of which are major growth areas.
Source: Doane's Agricultural Report, Aug. 24, 2001

Genes identified for beef quality
Scientists from the Cooperative Research Center (CRC) for Cattle and Beef Quality in Australia have identified genetic and non-genetic factors that influence beef quality.

The project identified a particular gene form associated with either beef tenderness or toughness, according to Dr. Bill Barendse of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Livestock Industries in Brisbank.

"Of the candidate genes studied thus far, one gene has shown highly significant and consistent association with tenderness," he said.

Results are particularly significant to breeders of tropical cattle which showed a high frequency of the tough gene, but also had a high proportion of animals with two copies of the tender gene. This means breeders can improve tenderness by removing animals with two copies of the tough gene and selecting to increase the tender gene.

Another indicator that has been identified as affecting beef quality is the temperament of the individual animal assessed using a measure called "flight time."

Flight time is a measure of the amount of time taken by an animal to travel two meters after it leaves the scale. A fast flight time indicates an animal with a poor temperament and according to research results, animals with poor temperaments produce progeny with tougher beef that is of unacceptable eating quality to consumers.

According to the study, flight time can be genetically correlated with beef quality.
Source: Feedstuffs, Aug. 27, 2001