NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD-TV) — U.S. farmers along the Rio Grande are seeing some relief after years of scarce water deliveries from Mexico. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says Mexico plans to release 202,000 acre-feet of water this week. It should help ease the strain on South Texas farmers struggling to sustain crops such as cotton, milo, and hay.
Past water gaps have led to mounting debt. While this delivery offers hope, many farmers warn it is not a total solution to their ongoing water challenges.
Lawmakers recently offered some support on agricultural water supplies. The House passed the PERMIT Act, a bill aimed at reducing regulatory hurdles for land that can revert to wetlands during drought or other periods of inactivity.
“Under the current five-year window, pauses that ranchers and farmers might take can often revert to wetlands, triggering EPA oversight that locks out grazing,” explained Rep. Andy Biggs, R-AZ. “My amendment protects these parcels so they can return to production when conditions improve, without fear of federal reclamation.”
The Permit Act also provides exemptions for stormwater and pesticide discharges on farmland to ease compliance while maintaining protections for U.S. waterways.
Until a phased reopening is inked, plan for tighter feeder availability, firmer basis near border yards, and continued reliance on domestic and Canadian sources.
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Bubba and Amy Miller run Miller Cattle Company in Eros, Louisiana. After visiting other homesteading fairs, they decided to put on their own.
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University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) representative Dr. Dirac Twidwell joins us with the latest on woody encroachment conservation efforts in the Great Plains.
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Lawmakers are pressing for answers on how Washington’s “managed trade” approach — keeping leverage through long-term tariffs — will affect farmers, global markets, and future export opportunities.
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Bioethanol is becoming a global standard. For growers, that boom comes as drops in Mississippi River levels and in soybean demand occur in tandem, leaving barge space for corn and wheat.
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