Mexico again fails 1944 Water Treaty obligations – Rio Grande Valley farmers in peril

The following statement may be attributed to Texas Farm Bureau State Director Brian Jones, a cotton, corn, grain sorghum and soybean farmer in Hidalgo County, following Mexico’s failure to once again deliver obligated water to the United States in the five-year cycle that ended Oct. 24, 2025.

“The situation is more than just disappointing. It’s infuriating.

“Another missed water delivery deadline by Mexico is another serious blow to Rio Grande Valley farmers and communities. 

“Farmers in the Rio Grande Valley have done about as much as they can to hang on until Mexico delivers the water it owes, including reducing the number of acres planted and switching to dryland crops that require less water.

“The number of acres being farmed in the Valley is down as much as 45%. Some crops, such as sugarcane, are no longer being grown because of a lack of water. Other crops may soon follow.

“I can’t irrigate a third of my farm one time with the water that I have. It’s getting harder and harder to hang on.

“How can someone sustain more than half of their farm sitting unproductive?  You can’t.

“The 2026 spring planting season here begins in February, and agriculture has only 50% of the water it needs.

“Something must be done and done now, or we risk losing an entire industry.”

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Background:
Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico is obligated to deliver an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually over a five-year cycle to the U.S., primarily benefiting the irrigation-dependent agricultural communities of South Texas. As of January 2025, just over 400,000 acre-feet of water had been delivered for the current cycle that ended Oct. 24, 2025.  Following President Trump’s renewed focus on enforcing the Treaty earlier this year, Mexico entered a six-month agreement and delivered approximately 320,000 acre-feet of water, falling well short of the more than 900,000 acre-feet that remain overdue.