Texas Agricultural Finance Authority Awards Nearly $22.5 Million Through AgLink Continuity Grant Program to Strengthen Texas Agricultural Supply Chain

Nearly $22.5 million in grants awarded to 80 agricultural first handlers across 45 Texas counties

AUSTIN –Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), and the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority (TAFA) today announced the recipients of the AgLink Continuity Grant Program, awarding nearly $22.5 million to 80 agricultural first handlers across 45 Texas counties. The grants will strengthen critical agricultural infrastructure and help businesses recover from weather-related disruptions.

The AgLink Continuity Grant Program provides financial assistance to agricultural first handlers, such as cotton gins, grain warehouses, rice dryers, and produce packing sheds, that have experienced significant business interruptions caused by drought, flooding, and other natural disasters. These businesses serve as essential links between Texas producers and the marketplace, ensuring crops are processed, stored, and transported efficiently.

"Texas agriculture depends on a strong network of businesses that keeps commodities moving from the field to the marketplace," Commissioner Miller said. "When natural disasters disrupt these operations, the effects ripple far beyond the farm gate. These grants help ensure our producers have dependable partners, our rural communities remain economically strong, and Texans continue to benefit from a secure food and fiber supply."

Facilities such as cotton gins, grain warehouses, and rice dryers must continue operating even when natural disasters dramatically reduce the volume of commodities available for processing or marketing, creating significant financial strain. Unlike agricultural producers, however, first handlers generally are not eligible for crop insurance or traditional disaster assistance, despite the vital role they play in helping producers process, market, and sell their commodities.

Grant funding will support equipment purchases, facility improvements, safety and efficiency upgrades, job retention, and other investments that enable these businesses to recover more quickly and remain operational following natural disasters.

"The AgLink Continuity Grant Program is an investment in the future of Texas agriculture," Commissioner Miller said. "By helping these businesses recover and remain operational after disasters, we're protecting our agricultural infrastructure, preserving rural jobs, and reinforcing the supply chain that feeds and clothes Texans every day."

A complete list of AgLink Continuity Grant recipients is available on the Texas Department of Agriculture website.