Mexico Resumes Water Payments Under 1944 Treaty, But Shortfalls Persist for Texas Producers

RFD News correspondent Frank McCaffrey reports from Texas on the ongoing water dispute and its implications for U.S. farmers.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (RFD NEWS) — After years of delays, Mexico has begun making water payments to the United States under the terms of a 1944 water treaty. However, farmers say the amount of water delivered still falls short of requirements.

In an exclusive interview, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told RFD NEWS correspondent Frank McCaffrey what it took to pressure the Mexican government to resume payments under the agreement.

McCaffrey takes us to Texas to speak with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about the issue, where Sen. Cruz and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) emphasized that water access and treaty compliance remain major concerns for producers.

Both lawmakers believe water will be a significant topic during this year’s review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which President Donald Trump recently called “irrelevant.”

That review process is scheduled to begin this summer.

Related Stories
“It is no secret that livestock grazing is a means of reducing those fine fuels on the ground.”
“No business person in the United States is going to hire people that are terrorists or criminals. So deporting them is going to have zero impact on the economy...”

RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey covers news from Texas, in the US-Mexico border region. He has provided in-depth coverage of immigration, the 2021 Texas freeze, the arrival of the New World screwworm, and Mexico’s water debt owed under a 1944 treaty.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

If confirmed, early Chinese buys tighten nearby Gulf/PNW capacity and could bump basis in export-oriented regions.
Alan Bjerga, Senior Vice President of Communications with the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), shares updates and resources available to dairy producers.
Culver’s Senior Marketing Manager Alison Demmer joins us to share the company’s deep-rooted partnership with FFA and ongoing commitment to support agriculture education.
Chancey Williams joins us in the studio to share his history with FFA as we continue our Countdown to Convention sponsored by Culver’s.
FarmHER Erin Cumings shares how Nationwide’s “Every STEP Counts” helps farm and agribusiness owners prioritize safety.
The idea of buying more beef from Argentina does not sit well with much of farm country, raising some questions from analysts and producers.