TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - A regional vice president for Texas Farm Credit said agriculture remains a major part of the East Texas economy but continues to face challenges from rising costs and barriers for new producers.

Kyle Watts spoke Wednesday at the State of Agriculture Luncheon, hosted by the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and the East Texas State Fair at the East Texas State Fairgrounds."We're just proud to showcase agriculture here in East Texas," Watts said.

"Agriculture is a large part of our economy here. It creates lots of jobs, lots of revenue. It feeds and clothes the people."He said agriculture in East Texas is "real," "present" and "vibrant," but said it comes with challenges.{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "VideoObject", "name": "Texas Farm Credit official highlights East Texas agriculture's challenges at Tyler luncheon", "description": "A regional vice president for Texas Farm Credit said agriculture remains a major part of the East Texas economy but continues to face challenges from rising costs and barriers for new producers.", "thumbnailUrl": "https://gray-kltv-prod.gtv-cdn.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fdo0bihdskp9dy.cloudfront.net%2F09-30-2026%2Ft_6ba2d81916ec441393d02945f1f88b57_name_file_1280x720_2000_v3_1_.jpg?auth=13139f8f118450b15898ae3f13c48694a7566fe095533006a3e7917c98ad5828&width=1920&height=1080&smart=true", "uploadDate": "2026-09-30T23:18:28Z", "duration": "P0Y0M0DT0H2M57S", "contentUrl": "https://d1l66zlxaqpl1u.cloudfront.net/wp-gray/20260930/6abd93e576651d73e1d0d475/t_098708a3291d4f379f76f0e114a64070_name_WEBX_STATE_OF_AGRICULTURE_KLTVf0bd_186/file_1280x720-2000-v3_1.mp4" }"We need as much help as possible, from federal policy or state policy," Watts said.