Governor Greg Abbott has signed a bill creating the Texas Olive Oil Advisory Board.
The bill easily passed through both the Texas Senate and the House of Representatives earlier this year, receiving bipartisan support in both.
“The passage of this bill and subsequent creation of the advisory board takes us to the next step of defining the priorities, opportunities and challenges our industry must address for Texas olive oil to expand and strengthen,” Cathy Bernell, a board member of the Texas Association of Olive Oil and major proponent of the bill, said.
The next steps now will be for Texas olive growers to nominate board members, which will then be approved by the commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock.
The Texas Olive Oil Advisory Board will make it easier for olive growers and oil producers to get grant money from both the Texas and United States Departments of Agriculture, lead to the implementation and enforcement of quality standards for virgin and extra virgin olive oil and provide funding for olive-specific educational programs at Texas universities.
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