The USDA announced on Monday that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins shared a "major win for American agriculture" by securing an agreement from 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 transferring water from international reservoirs and increasing 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, the department said in a release.

“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 Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, we secured an agreement to provide Texas producers with 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. 

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," the USDA said. 

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 have led to severe water shortages for farmers and ranchers in the Rio Grande Valley, 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 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.

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