U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announces a major win for American agriculture by securing the agreement of the Mexican government to meet the current water needs of farmers and ranchers in Texas as part of the 1944 Water Treaty. The Mexican government committed to transfer water from international reservoirs and increase the U.S. share of the flow in six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle. In the first 100 days of the Trump Administration, Secretary Rollins has affirmed the bold leadership of President Donald J. Trump by supporting America First Policies.
“Mexico finally meeting the water needs of Texas farmers and ranchers under the 1944 Water Treaty is a major win for American agriculture. After weeks of negotiations with Mexican cabinet officials alongside the Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, we secured an agreement to give Texas producers the water they need to thrive. While this is a significant step forward, we welcome Mexico’s continued cooperation to support the future of American agriculture,” said Secretary Rollins. “None of this would have been possible without the fervent support of our farmers from President Trump and his work to hold our trading partners accountable.”
The agreement between the United States and Mexico solidified a plan for immediate and short-term water relief to meet the needs of Texas farmers and ranchers for this growing season. It includes water releases and continued commitments through the end of this cycle which concludes in October. The United States welcomes further collaboration with Mexico on their treaty agreements with outstanding water debts in mind, specifically additional monthly transfers and regular consultations on future water deliveries.
Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico is obligated to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet over five years to the United States from the Rio Grande River. The United States in turn delivers 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado River. Mexico’s persistent shortfalls in deliveries has led to severe water shortages for Rio Grande Valley farmers and ranchers, devastating crops, costing jobs and threatening the local economy.
While negotiations were ongoing with Mexico, Secretary Rollins announced a $280 million grant agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to provide critical economic relief to eligible Rio Grande Valley farmers and producers suffering from Mexico’s ongoing failure to meet its water delivery obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty.
Source : usda.gov