TEXAS A&M’S AGRICULTURE PROGRAM UNVEILS NEW GOALS

SAN ANTONIO – After spending more than a year listening to the citizens and leaders of Texas, the Agriculture Program of The Texas A&M University System today is announcing its priorities for the next decade.

“Today we are renewing our commitment to making a difference for the people of Texas and throughout the world,” said Dr. Ed Hiler, Texas A&M’s vice chancellor and dean for agriculture.

“One of the gratifying things we had confirmed during our visioning and self-evaluation process is that we have a tremendous opportunity to address needs that are critical to so many Texans,” he continued. “Over the past 20 years, our programs have grown far beyond a traditional emphasis on production agriculture; our scientists and specialists, for example, are involved in work vital to human health, environmental protection, youth and leadership development, family preservation, and community economic growth.

“Our great challenge,” Hiler added, “is to muster and leverage our resources – human and material – for priority goals that accomplish the greatest good.”

The Agriculture Program 21 priority goals were unveiled by Hiler at a news conference at the HemisFair Plaza, in connection with the announcement of plans for a Texas A&M world center for irrigation technology to be located in San Antonio and a major federal initiative to conserve water by improving irrigation technology along the Rio Grande River basin.

Bexar County Judge Cyndi Taylor Krier, who appeared with Hiler at the news conference, pointed out that both these new projects were in line with one of the Agriculture Program’s top priority goals — finding ways to conserve water in Texas.

“While planning for both these projects began before the Agriculture Program’s goals were completed,” she said, “they are early examples of the innovation, leadership and cooperative spirit that these goals envision.”

Krier was a member of a panel of 50 distinguished Texas leaders that made recommendations on statewide priority needs. From these, 11 specific goals were developed in four broad areas of greatest concern to Texans:

· Develop and manage water and natural resources

· Educate and strengthen leaders of tomorrow

· Promote human and economic health through agriculture

· Enhance technology research and applications

“The federal water initiative funding announced today is just one aspect of how we are working to turn these goals into action,” Hiler said. “We also have significant initiatives in the basic life sciences to create new foods with health-enhancing and disease-preventing characteristics.”

Hiler noted that innovative outreach education programs through the Texas Agricultural Extension Service and school-based programs will help foster learning and leadership among youth and adults in local communities.

The Agriculture Program visioning process also involved the work of more than 160 Texas A&M faculty, staff and students. Their insights, plus the recommendations of the Leaders Panel, helped shape the final goals.

The Texas A&M Agriculture Program is composed primarily of the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and two major state agencies – the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. It is networked with 11 other agencies and universities to serve Texans in every county in the state.

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