Economic Impacts of High Oleic Sunflower Production in the Texas High Plains

Abstract

The production of high oleic acid sunflowerseed (liDS) as an al-ternative crop in the Texas High Plains and the subsequent impact upon the area and state economy was assessed. Enterprise budg-eting showed that dryland HOS production generated positive net returns compared with negative returns for three dryland and six irrigated crops produced in the Texas High Plains. HOS produc-tion, when combined with area and state input-output multipliers, resulted in a positive effect on total economic activity, income and employment in the Texas High Plains and the state of Texas.