Texas Border Businesses
Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
MISSION, Texas – “Thank you, Senator Cornyn, for being here and taking the time to listen to our issues and learn about what we’re going through,” vegetable and field crop grower Will Beckwith of Beckwith Produce began his address to the crowd of influencers.
U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and John Boozman (R-AR), ranking members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, met with farmers from the Rio Grande Valley to address the growing crisis in the region’s farming communities. As the senators listened, vegetable and field crop grower Will Beckwith of Beckwith Produce spoke up first, bringing some urgency and frustration to the discussion.
A major topic of discussion at the roundtable was the impact of Mexico’s failure to provide a steady supply of water to the Rio Grande Valley in accordance with the 1944 water treaty. The lack of water has left many farmers like Beckwith struggling to stay in business. In response, Beckwith’s farm invested heavily in drip irrigation, which is meant to conserve water. “In 2020, we started switching to drip irrigation to conserve water,” he explained. “We’ve saved a lot, but we still have to put $600 per acre into the field.” Despite these efforts, high costs and logistical challenges made it difficult to maintain traditional crop rotations, resulting in a significant reduction in planted acreage. “At the end of the day, we had to cut about 80% of acres. You can’t grow cotton or grains with flood irrigation,” Beckwith said, highlighting the dire situation.
Beckwith stressed that despite improvements in irrigation methods, systemic flaws in water infrastructure hinder water conservation efforts. “You would expect that if you save water with drip tape and improve the water system with pivots, that it would lead to local water savings. But that’s not what’s happening. The water system is flawed,” he said. Beckwith offered a startling example of these inefficiencies: “In order to save 500 acre-feet of water for next year’s cotton and corn production, we had to pump 1,800 acre-feet of water to water those 400 acre-feet.”
The conversation turned to the lack of proper risk management tools for farmers. Beckwith initially intended to discuss crop insurance for risk management, but realized that without water, it’s pointless. “Risk management flies out the window and so does the water,” he said. He noted that while insurance tools exist for standard crops like onions and cabbage, there’s a clear gap for specialty crops. “There’s no crop insurance risk management tool for specialty crops like the ones JD produces.”
Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, echoed Beckwith’s concerns, pointing to a lack of insurance coverage. “We grow about 60 different fresh produce crops in this state, but only four of them are insured,” Galeazzi emphasized. The lack of insurance increases financial risk for farmers who are already struggling with water scarcity and infrastructure challenges.
The roundtable in Mission, Texas, highlighted the severe crisis in the Rio Grande Valley’s agriculture sector. Senators Cornyn and Boozman’s presence at the meeting underscored the urgency of these issues. The Senators called for immediate legislative action on the farm bill and urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to make the bill a priority once the Senate reconvenes. This bill could be a key opportunity to address some of these pressing issues, including water management, improving infrastructure and expanding insurance coverage.
For the Rio Grande Valley farming community, the stakes are high. As Beckwith concluded his remarks, he left no doubt about the gravity of the situation: “We’re trapped here right now, with no risk management tools, no water to grow our crops. I’d love for others to speak up. Is anybody here?”
The roundtable was a clarion call for immediate and comprehensive policy interventions. Addressing water supply challenges, improving infrastructure and expanding insurance coverage are key steps to safeguarding the agricultural future of this important region.
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