Texas Forest Service firefighters battle more than 2,000 fires annually. In Bexar County, the Extension Service has organized the most active Master Gardener chapter in North America. The Agriculture Program pioneered the technology that was needed to produce the first FDA-approved urine test for detection of the HIV virus. Most faculty within the Agriculture Program have joint appointments between agencies or universities. Facts About Agriculture in Texas One out of every five Texans owes their job to the agricultural industry.
Agriculture is the second largest industry in Texas.
Texas has more cattle and calves than the entire human population of Florida. Texas leads the nation in the production of cotton, watermelon, cattle and calves, sheep and goats, wool and mohair. Texas leads the nation in the number of farms and ranches and other types of land used for agricultural production. Each year, Texas harvests the first bale of cotton, the first fresh peaches and the first fresh apples in the nation. Texas' agribusiness industry is so diverse that 98 percent of the jobs are not on a farm or ranch.