Texas Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R) is calling on House leadership to include $280 million in emergency aid for South Texas farmers in the upcoming appropriations. The Republican congresswoman believes that Mexico’s failure to meet its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty has created a severe water shortage, which has crippled the region’s agricultural economy.
In an effort to include $280 million in emergency aid for South Texas farmers, Rep. De La Cruz has introduced H.R. 10113, or the South Texas Agriculture Emergency Assistance Act. The bill is a bipartisan effort that is also supported by leading agricultural organizations.
“South Texas farmers are at a breaking point,” she said in a statement. “Without immediate relief, the livelihoods of countless families are at risk.”
According to a letter that was sent to House leadership, Rep. De La Cruz outlined that the water shortage has resulted in a number of issues for South Texas farmers, including but not limited to $98.5 million in losses for sugarcane, which has forced the closure of Texas’ only sugar mill and has eliminated an estimated 500 jobs; $147 million in citrus production losses and the removal of over 7,000 acres of orchards; and $72.5 million in vegetable revenue losses for the 2024-2025 crop years.
“This funding is a vital first step to help farmers recover and keep our agricultural economy afloat,” she commented.
In the letter, Rep. De La Cruz also blames Mexico for not keeping its fair share of the bargain for some time.
“For years Mexico has regularly not fulfilled its obligations to annually deliver 350,000 acre-feet of water to the U.S., which is vital to irrigation farming and municipal use in the RGV,” adding that “currently, Mexico owes us over 960,000 acre-feet of water for this current five-year cycle, of which we are at the of year four.”
