USDA is sending $280 million to help Texas producers amid severe water shortages from Mexico

USDA wants to help Texas producers who they say have been cheated out of water from Mexico.

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a $280 million grant agreement between USDA and the Texas Department of Agriculture. She said for too long farmers have suffered from Mexico’s failure to meet its water delivery obligations under a 1944 treaty.

Under the agreement, Mexico is obligated to provide the U.S. with 350,000 acre-feet of water each year, over a five-year cycle. Mexico has delayed all deliveries this cycle until the final year, and lawmakers have even considered sanctions in the past.

Rollins was in her home state this week, where she hosted a roundtable with farmers and ranchers, alongside Senator Ted Cruz. She reassured farmers of their commitment in Washington and said the Administration would do all it could to deliver for America’s farmers.

Related Stories
While short-term volatility remains a risk, softer ocean freight rates in 2026 could improve export margins.
Trade volatility and shifting export destinations increase marketing risk for producers heading into 2026.
Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller joined us to discuss data center expansion, farmland preservation, rural economic impacts, and imminent cattle biosecurity concerns affecting agriculture today.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show continues through Saturday, wrapping up another successful year of celebrating agriculture in the Commonwealth.
The application deadline is March 8, 2026. The 1890 National Scholars Program aims to encourage students at 1890 land-grant universities to pursue careers in food, agriculture, and natural resource sciences.
Expanded school access to whole milk provides modest but reliable demand support for U.S. dairy producers.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Farm CPA Paul Neiffer joined us to break down the recent Fifth Circuit Court decision overturning a prior Tax Court decision on self-employment tax for limited partners, the ruling’s impact on farmers, and potential next steps in Congress.
Americans for Prosperity Arkansas Director Ryan Norris talks energy infrastructure, regulatory reform, and the role of critical minerals in supporting rural America.
Pennsylvania Farm Show scholarship recipient Elizabeth Dice discusses her award, her background in farming, and her path forward in the agriculture industry.
Mike Steenhoek with the Soy Transportation Coalition discusses supply chain challenges facing agriculture as snow, sleet and ice threaten most of the Eastern U.S.
Congressman Adrian Smith of Nebraska joined us with the latest on efforts to secure year-round E15 sales.
Nearly everyone in the South Texas ag community appears extremely worried about the potential of a New World screwworm epidemic, according to a local veterinarian. RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey reports.
Agriculture Shows
America’s Heartland brings positive, heartfelt stories about American agriculture to viewers in both urban and rural areas.
Hosted by Pam Minick, “The American Rancher” focuses on the people and places that make ranching an American lifestyle. This half-hour magazine format series features livestock producers and their ranches, animals, and ranching practices.
For the latest information on how to take your operation from good to great, tune into Ag PhD. The program includes a wide range of agronomic information from how to maximize your fertilizer program & tiling to stopping those yield-robbing insects and crop diseases and more.
RFD Network is always creating new ways for rural America to educate and to be educated. RURAL AMERICA LIVE, the network’s longest-running self-produced program, is certainly no exception.