Governor Greg Abbott and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins held agricultural meetings in South Texas to discuss water supply issues affecting farming and livestock production.
In Mission, Abbott and Rollins met with Texas agricultural producers for a roundtable focused on recent negotiations related to the 1944 U.S.–Mexico Water Treaty. The discussion addressed the agreement's implications for water deliveries to South Texas and the resulting impact on the Texas citrus industry.
"Thank you to President Trump for stepping up and doing more than any other President has ever done to enforce this treaty," said Governor Abbott. "The urgency of it was heard at this roundtable today. We have an obligation to ensure more water goes to the men and women who grow crops in our state."
© Office of the Texas Governor
"Uncertainty over water deliveries from Mexico negatively impacts South Texas, especially," said Secretary Rollins. "The State Department, USDA, and IBWC engaged our Mexican government counterparts to negotiate. Recent treaty negotiations have resulted in significant increases in deliveries and improvements in the reliability of the water cover. It's time to make a change, and that's what we're working to do."
Participants also discussed the recent passage of Proposition 4, which provides funding for water infrastructure projects across Texas. The roundtable included representatives from the citrus sector and agricultural organizations, along with regional producers.
Following the meeting in Mission, Abbott and Rollins attended the opening of a Domestic New World Screwworm (NWS) Sterile Fly Dispersal Facility in Edinburg. The facility is intended to support efforts to limit the northward spread of the pest and reduce risks to livestock and wildlife.
"America is going to take care of itself, including dealing with the approach of screwworm as it gets closer to our border," said Governor Abbott. "We put together the resources necessary for Texas to provide a Texas-sized response to this. We thank Secretary Rollins and President Trump for stepping forward to provide the stopgap effort essential to protecting our ranchers and our wildlife."
"The Trump Administration continues to bring the full force of the federal government to fight New World Screwworm," said Secretary Brooke Rollins. "This sterile fly dispersal facility was a high-priority project, and our team delivered it in record time. This new facility is a monumental achievement for our domestic preparedness efforts, but we are also diligently working to stop the spread of screwworm in Mexico, conduct extensive trapping and surveillance along the border, increase U.S. response capacity, and encourage innovative solutions. We will never stop fighting to protect American agriculture. USDA, through a whole-of-government approach, will continue to hold Mexico accountable for mitigating the spread of this dangerous pest."
State officials outlined recent measures related to screwworm preparedness, including emergency declarations, coordination between state agencies, and federal investment in sterile insect production capacity.
For more information:
Office of the Texas Governor
Tel: +1 512 463 2000
www.gov.texas.gov
