The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) will host three workshops to help farmers who need additional support to complete their 1944 Water Treaty Grant application.

Grant applications opened in early April for the $280 million in assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to aid farmers affected by water shortages due to Mexico’s failure to fulfill its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty.

TDA will provide funding assistance to qualified applicants through a non-competitive process.

An eligible applicant refers to a farmer who had farming acreage in at least one of the Rio Grande River Valley Water Districts in 2023 or 2024. Eligible farmers must have held irrigation water rights on this acreage, obtained either individually or through a water irrigation district.

Eligible farmers in Brewster, Brooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kinney, Maverick, Presidio, Starr, Terrell, Val Verde, Webb, Willacy, or Zapata counties may apply for the grants.

The workshops offered are optional to assist farmers directly.

Attendees should bring their authorized irrigation certificate number, documentation of their Irrigation District or TCEQ water rights, and proof of their total number of irrigable acres.

Workshop information:
April 22–25
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
TDA Regional Office
900 E Expressway 83 B
San Juan, TX 78589

April 30
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Webb County Extension Office
7209 E Saunders St, Suite #5
Laredo, TX 78041

May 1
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Cameron County Annex
1390 W Expressway 83
San Benito, TX 78586

Grant applications are due May 22.

For questions or additional information, visit TDA’s website or email grants@texasagriculture.gov.