Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Wagner-Peyser Program (Employment Services)
All Program-Specific Requirements provided for the WIOA core programs in this section must be addressed for either a Unified or Combined State Plan.
e. 1. Assessment of Need
Current Narrative:
In Texas, one out of every seven working Texans (14 percent) is in an agriculture-related job. The average age of Texas farmers and ranchers is 58 years. Moreover, Texas has more women and minority farm operations than any other state in the nation. The unique needs of migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) are best understood in light of Texas’ agricultural activity.
The economic impact of Texas agriculture on the national scene is significant. Texas is the third-leading agricultural-producing state overall, behind California and Iowa. Texas leads the nation in the number of farms and ranches, with 248,800 covering over 130 million acres, and leads the nation in value of farm real estate. Additionally, Texas leads the nation in the production of cattle, cotton, hay, sheep, goats, wool, and mohair.
Rural lands, including privately owned forest, total 144 million acres, 86 percent of the state’s total land area. Twelve percent of Texas’ population resides in rural areas and 98.5 percent of Texas farms and ranches are family farms, partnerships, or family-held corporations.