A Fair Shot for Texas Farmers and Ranchers in TX-27

Posted on January 13, 2026

Farmers and ranchers across the Coastal Bend and Southcentral Texas don’t ask for handouts. They ask for something much more basic: a fair shot in a free and competitive market.

In TX-27, agriculture is not theoretical. It’s cattle operations in Victoria, Jackson, and Wharton counties. It’s rice, cotton, and grain sorghum fields in Matagorda and Colorado counties. It’s coastal pastureland, hay producers, and specialty crops in Aransas and San Patricio counties. These family operations feed our communities, support rural economies, and embody the Texas values of independence and hard work.

But today, the system is stacked against them. The core problem facing farmers and ranchers is simple and relentless: they buy retail and sell wholesale. Producers pay retail prices for seed, fertilizer, feed, fuel, equipment, insurance, and labor. Yet they sell their crops and livestock into wholesale markets dominated by a small number of powerful buyers. When grocery prices rise, farmers rarely see the benefit. When input costs spike, they absorb the hit.

That isn’t a truly free market. It’s a consolidated one — and it steadily erodes the ability of independent producers to stay in business. If we believe in competition, we must enforce antitrust laws, strengthen the Packers and Stockyards Act, and restore fairness to agricultural markets.

Production costs across TX-27 have climbed faster than farm income for years. Fertilizer and fuel prices remain volatile. Equipment costs have exploded, and restrictions on the right to repair drive up maintenance expenses. Labor shortages increase costs and uncertainty. These pressures hit small and mid-sized operations the hardest. Farmers can’t simply raise prices to compensate. Many must lock in contracts months before harvest, hoping the weather cooperates and costs don’t spiral. Smart policy should focus on stabilizing input costs, protecting farmers’ ability to repair their own equipment, and strengthening cooperative purchasing options.

In the Coastal Bend and surrounding counties, extreme weather is now a constant threat. Hurricanes and tropical storms damage rice fields, cotton, fencing, and livestock. Drought stresses pastureland and drives up feed costs. Flooding delays planting and destroys crops. Extreme heat reduces cattle productivity and increases losses. Disaster relief matters, but it often arrives late or fails to reflect regional realities. Crop insurance and emergency programs must work for family farmers — not just large agribusiness operations.

Few issues are more urgent than water. Rice producers depend on reliable surface water. Ranchers rely on aquifers already under stress. Coastal farmers face salinity and pollution risks. Meanwhile, growing cities and industrial projects increase competition for limited supplies. Farmers are careful water managers because their livelihoods depend on it. Agriculture must be treated as essential infrastructure in water planning, not an afterthought. That means investing in aquifer recharge, modern irrigation, and infrastructure — and ensuring desalination and industrial water projects do not undermine agricultural access or water quality.

Growing food is only half the challenge. Farmers also need fair access to markets. Too much processing capacity has been centralized far from rural communities. Too many contracts lack transparency. Too many producers are price-takers with little bargaining power. Expanding local and regional processing for beef, grain, and other commodities keeps value in our district and strengthens rural economies.

Texas farmers and ranchers don’t want Washington micromanaging their operations. They want policies that remove barriers, restore competition, and reward hard work. They want to pass their land to the next generation — not sell it off to survive another bad year. Supporting agriculture isn’t charity. It’s an investment in food security, economic stability, and the future of TX-27. If we get the policy right, farmers and ranchers will do what they’ve always done: feed the nation and keep rural Texas strong.

I am committed to enhancing an agricultural community in Southcentral Texas and the Coastal Bend that protects farmers by increasing productivity, reducing costs of insurance, lowering interest rates, stabilizing markets, reducing skyrocketing costs of equipment, and ensuring that when natural disasters happen, federal relief is guaranteed and with minimum red tape. Farmers built this nation and continue to be the keystone that feeds America and a good portion of the world.