Agriculture

The U.S. trade war with China is coming at a tough time for American farmers, who are already dealing with lower crop prices and higher costs for farm necessities. Tariffs are likely to push crop prices further down, while increasing the costs for fertilizer and farm equipment.

Two Texas Tech alumni and major donors, Cody Campbell and Dustin Womble, were elected chairman and vice chairman of the university's board of regents. Our reporter Bishop Van Buren has more on the appointments. The United States Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, was in Lubbock yesterday. After the recent tariffs from the White House, she acknowledge the uncertainty farmers are facing. Tomorrow, Lubbock’s city offices will be closed in observance of Good Friday. Libraries and city museums will also be closed on Easter Sunday.

A longstanding dispute over water-sharing between the U.S. and Mexico is raising concerns for farmers in South Texas. The Texas Newsroom’s Lucio Vasquez reports the U.S. government has now denied Mexico’s latest request for water, citing ongoing shortfalls in Mexico’s required deliveries. Hockley County, Garza County, and Hale County have joined the list of Texas counties reporting measles cases connected with the ongoing outbreak in the region.

Just an hour outside of Dallas, Eden Green Technology is one of the companies that has navigated the challenges of indoor farming.

One Lubbock Firefighter was injured, and about 25 residents were displaced after an apartment fire early Sunday. According to Lubbock Fire Rescue, the Fire Marshal's Office is investigating, and the American Red Cross is assisting residents. KTTZ's Bishop Van Buren has more on how President Trump's tariff exchange with Canada could affect some West Texas farmers. And Texas flu and RSV cases are down, according to state health officials.

The strain of bird flu is distinct from what has previously been found in dairy cattle. The finding raises some worrying questions — and concerns over the Trump administration's muted response.

At the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in San Antonio, farmers braced for the impact of President Trump's mass deportation plan.