MISSION, Texas - Agricultural production in the Rio Grande Valley is down by roughly 30 percent and it is largely due to the scarcity of water.
This was the message Dante Galeazzi delivered at the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce’s Buenas Tardes Luncheon, held at the Mission Event Center on Aug. 13, 2025. Galeazzi is president of the Texas International Produce Association.
“For anybody that doesn't know, we get 90 percent of our fresh water from the Rio Grande River, and we are at the lowest points in the international reservoirs ever. So what does that future look like for our local farmers. It's already impacting them,” Galeazzi said.
“We are down by production something like 30 percent and we are looking to start this year very similar. And guys, it's not just here in Texas. Mexico has a lot of the same issues. Something like 26 of the states in Mexico are under severe drought. So we are constantly advocating, and I've got some great partners up here, the judge, the representative, has helped us on water, but our challenges for farming continue to grow.”
Galeazzi was part of a panel discussion titled “The State of Current Business.” The judge Galezzi referenced in his comments was Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez and the representative was state Rep. Sergio Muñoz. Both Cortez and Muñoz were on the panel.
Galeazzi said TIPA is constantly advocating to increase consumption and access for fruits and vegetables.
“So, why am I up here with these gentlemen? Why are we talking about it? Because everything you just heard all these folks say, and everything you're going to hear the representative say, is going to play into the food industry, right?
“Fruit and vegetable prices are going up, guys. There is not a single banana grown commercially in the US or Mexico. It's all coming right now from countries with tariffs, and there's a whole lot of other fruits and vegetables that are coming from those countries. So we are having to pay more as American consumers.”
There is some good news, though, Galeazzi insisted.
“There are opportunities. That is why we advocate, because we are trying to make the business profile here in the Valley better. We are trying to create opportunities for our folks to build more warehouses and invest. We are trying to create opportunities in small cities so that way they can employ those people, get them into job opportunities and careers. And ultimately, we are trying to grow the food that's going to reach the restaurants and people.”
However, these opportunities will not always be around, Galeazzi explained.
“We are not going to have the opportunities we've had in past years, where we could take a year, or we could take 18 months to say, you know what, that’s the strategy, that's the path forward. The environment today does not allow us that. Interest rates are supposed to go down, we all hope, but we've heard that now two quarters in a row. So, what we're telling our folks is you've got to follow along carefully with what's happening in D.C., with what's happening in Austin, what's happening in your county.
“But, more importantly, you had better be in a position to take that big step when it comes and you better be in a position to make that step very, very fast, because those windows of opportunity are going to be here, but they're going to come and go very quickly, And if you're not in a good position, you're going to miss it, and it could be another year or two before you're ready to act.”
Editor's Note: Here is an audio recording of everything Dante Galeazzi said at the Buenas Tardes Luncheon event:
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In other TIPA news, the association has announced it has a new website.
“Our mission has always been to support and promote the fresh produce supply chain across the Tex-Mex region — and now we have a website that reflects it. Thanks to the talented team at DMA Solutions, our new site offers a fresh, dynamic, and user-friendly experience for our members and the produce industry we serve. Explore the new TIPA website today,” the group told its supporters and followers on social media.
Click here to view the website.
