The Texas Wheat Producers Board will hold its biennial election to elect five board members to fill expiring positions. Eligible voters may also participate in a referendum to determine the maximum rate of the refundable assessment collected on all wheat sold in Texas. The election, to be held by mail, officially begins January 6, 2023, and will conclude January 20, 2023.
Elected board members are responsible for the allocation of funds from the statewide wheat producer assessment. These funds are applied to wheat research, education and market development to serve wheat farmers in Texas. The Texas Agricultural Commodity Referendum Law prohibits such funds from being used for lobbying or legislative efforts.
The proposed referendum would limit the maximum wheat assessment rate to three cents per bushel until 2025 and to five cents per bushel thereafter. The assessment rate has remained at two cents per bushel since 2007. The elected board sets the assessment rate annually with the goal of balancing a conservative budget and adequately funding programs to enhance farmer profitability.
“Between the long-term trend toward fewer harvested acres and rising costs, a lot has changed since the maximum wheat assessment rate was last increased in 1997,” said Ken Davis, a farmer from Grandview and chairman of the Texas Wheat Producers Board. “As farmers continue to face unpredictable weather, global economic instability and populations who are farther removed from agriculture, this proposal gives the board the option, but not the requirement, to raise the assessment rate if necessary.”
Terms expiring in 2023 include Collin Bowers of District I, David Cleavinger of District II, Jody Bellah of District III, and Glen Gibson and Gary Murphy of District IV. These districts consist of the following counties:
District I: Dallam, Sherman, Ochiltree, Lipscomb, Hansford, Roberts, Moore, Hartley, Hutchinson and Gray
District II: Carson, Potter, Oldham, Deaf Smith, Randall, Armstrong, Briscoe, Swisher, Castro, Parmer, Hale and Floyd
District III: Childress, Hardeman, Foard, Knox, Throckmorton, Haskell, Archer, Baylor, Wilbarger, Wichita, Young and Clay
District IV: All other counties in Texas
Any producer living within the respective district who is engaged in the business of producing wheat, or causing wheat to be produced for commercial purposes, is eligible to vote. This includes owners of farms and their tenants and sharecroppers who are subject to paying the refundable assessment collected on wheat sold in Texas.
Any person qualified to vote may seek nomination for election to a six-year term on the board. Qualified persons must reside in the district in which they seek nomination and submit a nomination form to the board signed by the nominee and ten other eligible voters in that district. Nomination forms can be requested by phone at (806) 352-2191 and must be received by December 21, 2022, in order to be valid.
The election will be held by mail-in ballot. Ballots will be available for eligible voters beginning January 6, 2023, at local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offices or obtained by contacting the board. Ballots must be mailed to the polling place at 5405 West I-40, Amarillo, Texas 79106, with a postmark date no later than January 20, 2023.
For more information, contact the Texas Wheat Producers Board office at (806) 352-2191, by email at info@texaswheat.org or visit http://www.texaswheat.org.
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