Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez / Texas Border Business
Three major agriculture organizations in Texas have issued a joint statement welcoming a recent announcement from the Trump Administration on the 1944 Water Treaty with Mexico. The Texas International Produce Association, Texas Citrus Mutual, and Texas Vegetable Association, based in Mission, Texas, stated, “For too long Mexico has been allowed to disregard its obligation to annually deliver water to the U.S., at a great cost to the well-being of Rio Grande Valley agriculture, jobs, and communities.” They described the announcement as “another step in the right direction for bringing Mexico into compliance with the 1944 Water Treaty.” The groups expressed gratitude, saying, “Since taking office, President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and Secretary Rollins have taken unprecedented actions to prioritize this Treaty, and for that we are grateful.”
Despite this praise, the organizations voiced strong skepticism rooted in past experience. They noted, “However, years of non-compliance by Mexico has left our farmers skeptical of its promises.” They pointed to visible hardships, explaining, “As our farmers look at the fallow acres, crop production losses, and closed or underutilized mills and gins, it is difficult to see a positive path forward if our government does not hold Mexico accountable for the agreed-upon deliverables.” The statement added, “Continued failure by Mexico is not an option for those we represent.”
The groups detailed the terms of the new agreement, stating, “According to the agreement, Mexico has provided a plan to the U.S. for meeting its Treaty obligation to annually deliver 350,000 acre-feet, pay in full the over 800,000-acre feet of debt, and agreed to participate in monthly consultations with the U.S. to ensure compliance.” They urged firm action if needed, saying, “if Mexico does not meet its new promises for the current cycle, the Administration must use all the tools at its disposal to enforce compliance.” They further requested, “Should the U.S. determine that Mexico is failing to meet its benchmarks, we ask for swift corrective action to avoid slipping into a deficit and perpetuating the debt, as allowed in past cycles.”
The organizations thanked the Administration for its focus, declaring, “We thank the Administration for continuing to apply pressure on Mexico to fulfil its obligations by bringing long overdue attention to an issue that has been pushed aside for too long.” They emphasized results over words, stating, “Words matter, but actions matter more, and the Administration has continually shown its seriousness about correcting this previously deprioritized issue so vital to the people of the Rio Grande Valley.” Looking ahead, they described their stance as “cautiously optimistic and reserved on the new plan until the expected outcomes become reality.”
They expressed willingness to collaborate, saying, “We look forward to continuing to work with the Administration to implement the new agreement to end the cycles of non-compliance.” Finally, they called for lasting improvements, adding, “We also look to the Administration to institute changes within the U.S. federal government and in coordination with Mexico to further codify the obligation to make annual deliveries.”
