Texas Department Of Agriculture

Texas Department Of Agriculture, a U.S. state government entity headquartered in Austin, Texas, operates as a federal grant recipient (100% of recent awards as prime recipient) administering formula and project grants from USDA and other federal agencies in food nutrition, agricultural pest and disease surveillance, pesticide enforcement, specialty crop promotion, and rural economic development programs.

TDA's federal grant footprint centers on USDA Food and Nutrition Service programs. The department administers large formula grants for the National School Lunch Program ($2.598 billion awarded October 2025 for fiscal year 2025–2026), the Child and Adult Care Food Program ($22.8 million for October 2025–September 2026), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program ($7.963 billion for October 2025–September 2026), and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) ($4.57 million and $7.84 million in separate October 2025 awards). TDA distributes the bulk of these funds as sub-awards to local school districts, nonprofit organizations, food banks, and child care providers that directly deliver meals and nutrition assistance. Representative recent work includes a $13.26 million Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grant (October 2025) funding distribution to 39 sub-grantee school districts, a $106.9 million National School Lunch Program award (October 2025) supporting cash subsidies and commodity distribution across Texas schools, and a $41.77 million State Administrative Expenses for Child Nutrition grant (October 2025) covering meal reimbursement processing and regulatory compliance oversight.

TDA also receives cooperative agreement awards from USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for agricultural pest surveillance and regulatory compliance. Active work includes a $225,000 APHIS Cooperative Agreement (June 2026–May 2027) funding detection surveys for pasture mealybug across Texas counties, a $575,720 award (January–December 2026) supporting five full-time Citrus Health Response Program inspectors monitoring nurseries for Asian Citrus Psyllid, Citrus Greening, and Citrus Canker, imported fire ant quarantine surveillance with Sam Houston State University as sub-recipient, and spongy moth trap monitoring in high-risk counties. TDA operates the Cooperative Agreement on Pest Detection (CAPS) Infrastructure project, awarded $2.234 billion by EPA Region 6 (September 2025–August 2026) for pesticide regulatory and enforcement activities including applicator training, worker protection, water quality monitoring, and endangered species habitat protection.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service funds TDA specialty crop promotion, local food purchasing, and market intelligence work. Recent awards include a $1.714 million Specialty Crop Block Grant (September 2025, completing September 2028) supporting nine sub-awarded projects on pecans, microgreens, onions, and grapes through Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Tarleton State University, Sam Houston State University, and Texas Center for Local Food. A $502,836 Cooperative Agreement (January–December 2026) funded the Pesticide Data Program, with TDA collecting food samples focused on products consumed by infants and children and conducting chemical analysis for pesticide residues. Additional AMS work includes the $479,931 Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program grant (September 2024–September 2027) promoting the Go Texan mark through retail engagement and digital advertising, and a $350,000 award (January–December 2026) for border and airport traveler outreach warning against transporting invasive plant pests.

Customer concentration is heavily weighted to USDA child nutrition and food distribution programs. The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service accounts for the largest share of awards across multiple component offices (Food Distribution Division, Child Nutrition Division, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), collectively representing the dominant funding source. APHIS and AMS round out the portfolio. Over 24 months, 34 awards face ultimate completion dates and represent recompete opportunity.