Wednesday, June 25, 1997

Three USDA agencies will move to new Abilene location this summer

By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News

Before you go running about all over town, be advised that three USDA agencies in Abilene are moving to a new location this summer.

The Taylor County Farm Service Agency, along with the Rural Development and also the Natural Resource and Conservation Service will move from their present location at 3400A S. 14th.

All three offices will be re-located on Aug. 1 to a new facility at 4400 Place, Buffalo Gap Road, Suite 4300.

This building is a five-story structure just south of the Mall of Abilene. The bottom floor houses a branch of 1st National Bank.

The phone numbers for the will remain (915) 695-0140 for FSA; (915) 690-6162, for RD; and (915) 692-8238 for NRCS.

The Rural Development office had increased the number of counties it serves from Abilene, and that required adding six new employees.

"The existing building could not accomplish the increased size needs," Tim Hall, FSA executive director, noted.

USDA officials in Washington, as part of the Agriculture Department's restructuring, prefer keeping all those USDA agencies under one roof.

So, you can tear this out and put it under the magnet on your refrigerator door. You'll be ready to find Tim and all the others at USDA come August.

Perry cites importance of exports to China

Renewal of Most Favored Nation trading status for China would have "a very positive effect" on the American farming and ranching industry, Texas Ag Commissioner Rick Perry said.

"U.S. agriculture currently exports almost $3 billion worth of commodities to China every year," Perry said during his "Shoot the Bull" radio program last week. "That's a tremendous opportunity to provide for one of the most populous nations in the world."

President Clinton earlier had announced his support for MFN for China on May 21. Required by law to act on the President's recommendation within 90 days, the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the issue tomorrow.

Last year, China was Texas' 11th largest trading partner, Perry noted. Texas exports to China totaled more than $1.3 billion.

Among the state's top exports to China in 1996 were cotton, wheat, leather, electronics, petrochemical goods, telecommunications, aircraft, and oil exploration equipment.

Perry's radio program is produced by the Texas State Network and carried on 41 radio stations throughout the state.