AUSTIN – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have agreed to provide $280 million in grant assistance to agriculture producers with irrigation water rights along the Rio Grande River. This grant offers economic relief to producers affected by water shortages due to Mexico’s failure to fulfill obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty. TDA is accepting grant applications now through May 22, 2025.  

“Water is the lifeblood of Texas agriculture, and nowhere is this more critical than in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. “The 1944 Water Treaty Grant rollout is precisely the action needed to assist our agricultural producers in the Valley as they have endured a prolonged drought.” 

The 1944 Water Treaty requires Mexico to deliver 350,000 acre-feet of water annually over a five-year cycle to the United States. As of today, Mexico has not upheld its obligations under the treaty and owes over one million acre-feet of water. This situation has caused farmers and ranchers across South Texas to incur significant losses, resulting in thousands of job losses and detrimental impacts on family livelihoods.

TDA will distribute economic assistance to eligible producers through a non-competitive process. An “Eligible Producer” is an agriculture producer with farming acreage that was eligible for water allocations for agricultural use as documented through the Rio Grande Watermaster Program as a permit holder either individually, or through a water irrigation district during calendar year 2023 and/or calendar year 2024. An eligible producer may be located in Brewster, Brooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kinney, Maverick, Presidio, Starr, Terrell, Val Verde, Webb, Willacy, or Zapata counties.

Workshops will be available for producers to receive hands-on assistance with the application process. Attendees should bring their authorized irrigation certificate number, documentation of their irrigation district or Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) water rights, and proof of their total number of irrigable acres. 

To stay informed about workshop dates and locations—as well as application materials and frequently asked questions—please visit texasagriculture.gov.