USDA allocates $280 million to aid Rio Grande Valley farmers amid water crisis

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins unveiled a $280 million grant agreement aiming to support agricultural producers grappling with significant water shortages. This financial aid aims to mitigate the economic distress faced by farmers in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas.

The funding initiative comes in response to Mexico’s continued failure to fulfill its water delivery obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty, critically affecting agricultural operations in the region. “The persistent shortfall in water supply has not only ended sugarcane production but also jeopardizes the future of other vital crops such as citrus and cotton,” Secretary Rollins remarked during the announcement.

The grant will be administered by the TDA, which will handle the signup process and distribution of payments to eligible producers. These producers must have been actively engaged in agricultural production and held a Texas Commission of Environmental Quality Division certificate for water diversion during the 2023 and/or 2024 calendar years within the Lower Rio Grande River Valley Water District.