Texas Cooperative Inspection Program

The Texas Cooperative Inspection Program is a cooperative program of the Texas Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. TDA provides support services and administrative oversight. USDA ensures that program personnel are adequately trained and inspections are conducted using the appropriate USDA grades and standards. The Texas Cooperative Inspection Program began in the Texas Rio Grande Valley in 1917. The statutes, which constitute the Agriculture Code, have always provided for the inspection of fruits and vegetables, with the costs being borne by growers, shippers, and shipper's agents, rather than the state. Peanut inspections were added in 1947. Since 1935, the Texas Department of Agriculture has been authorized by state law to execute cooperative agreements, which provide for the inspection of fruits, vegetables, and other products. Operation of the Texas Cooperative Inspection Program began under such an agreement May 3, 1992. The inspection program has never been an official agency of TDA or USDA. It operates entirely on a user fee basis and receives no funding from the federal or state government.