Agriculture has always been an important part of our area's economy. It still is.
And one of the big cash crops on both sides of the state line comes not from the ground but on four legs-beef cattle.
Texas is the top producer of beef cattle in the country. Arkansas comes in at No. 11.
U.S. beef is raised on hundreds of thousands of ranches, most of which-just over 90 percent-are family-owned.
Much of that beef is consumed right here in the U.S., but a lot gets exported overseas, according to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Last year, the total value of beef exports was $6.3 billion. That's about to change. For the better.
China was once a big market for U.S. beef exports, but since the end of 2003 in the wake of a mad cow disease scare, the country has banned imports of beef from the U.S.
That ban is going away. The announcement came this summer after U.S. President Donald Trump hosted China's President Xi Jinping for a summit to talk trade and other issues.
That's big news for ranchers in our area and across the nation. China is a huge market, and the expanding economy means more people are able to afford beef than ever before. And they want our beef. Right now, most of China's meat comes from Australia, but U.S. cuts are considered to have better flavor and to be more tender.
China still has some restrictions on beef imports, particularly on the use of certain hormones and drugs commonly used here. But our producers will adapt and according to an article published Monday by Arkansas Public Media, some producers expect to see added value of about $20 to $40 per head from the opening of the Chinese market.
That's good news for ranchers, the agriculture industry and the U.S. economy as whole.
President Trump is to be congratulated for his part in making this happen.