Mexico will no longer deny Texas farmers the lifeblood of their business, according to the Trump administration.
Under a 1944 treaty, Mexico is obligated to send Texas water from the Rio Grande while the U.S. sends Mexico water from the Colorado River.
The current five-year deal calls for about 490 billion gallons from the U.S. to flow to Mexico each year, while 570 billion gallons from Mexico is to head north, according to CNN.
Because Mexico has been far behind in its obligations, the State Department denied a request for water for Tijuana, marking the first U.S. denial since the treaty took effect, according to The Hill.
Because of that action, plus a demand from President Donald Trump to address the crisis that has impacted south Texas farmers, a deal was struck, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, according to a news release posted on the website of the Department of Agriculture.
Mexico has promised it will increase the share of water from six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries. The plan will take effect this growing season.
“Mexico finally meeting the water needs of Texas farmers and ranchers under the 1944 Water Treaty is a major win for American agriculture,” Rollins said.
Rollins said talks with Mexican officials “secured an agreement to give Texas producers the water they need to thrive.”
“While this is a significant step forward, we welcome Mexico’s continued cooperation to support the future of American agriculture,” she said. “None of this would have been possible without the fervent support of our farmers from President Trump and his work to hold our trading partners accountable.”
According to a news release posted on the website of the Department of State, which said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau participated in the talks, Mexico will also work to address historic shortfalls in its promised water deliveries.
The release called the deal a “historic demonstration of leadership” from Trump.
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