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County Report · Texas · USDA AFIDA FY2024

Foreign-Owned Farmland in Hidalgo County, Texas

Hidalgo County is one of AFIDA Watch's featured Texas counties, covered in depth in our investigative series.

Reported foreign-held agricultural land interests in Hidalgo County, aggregated from 579 USDA disclosure filings. 301 distinct owners across 579 distinct parcels.

221,563
REPORTED ACRES
579
AFIDA FILINGS
301
DISTINCT OWNERS
Mexico
TOP HOLDER COUNTRY

Top holder countries

CountryReported acresShare of county
Mexico69,817 ac31.5%
United Arab Emirates68,134 ac30.8%
Portugal26,305 ac11.9%
United Kingdom15,365 ac6.9%
Bermuda7,749 ac3.5%

Largest reported owners

Owner (AFIDA display name)CountryReported acres
MCALLEN DE CHAPA, MILDREDMexico36,357 ac
Monte Alto Windpower LLCUnited Arab Emirates35,940 ac
ALONSO, JUAN, MARY & PEDROMexico27,290 ac
Hidalgo Wind Farm LLCPortugal26,305 ac
Monte Cristo Windpower, LLCUnited Arab Emirates19,164 ac

Showing top 5 of 301 owners. The full top-10 with per-owner purchase, estimated, and current values is in the Citizen Report.

Land use

UseAcresShare
Pasture104,849 ac47.3%
Cropland95,509 ac43.1%
Other agriculture16,743 ac7.6%
Other non-ag2,637 ac1.2%
Forest1,824 ac0.8%

Acquisition timeline

Reported acquisition years in Hidalgo County span 1911–2024, with the heaviest acquisition activity in the 1970s. AFIDA is a cumulative register of currently held interests, not just new purchases.

Reading this data correctly. These are reported ownership interests under a federal disclosure law. A reported interest is not an allegation of wrongdoing, and geographic facts here imply no motive. USDA acknowledges the underlying data is self-reported and incomplete.

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Top-10 owners with per-owner values, acquisition-year detail, the citizen value-audit worksheet, and The Author of Contradiction handbook. $29, one-time.

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Frequently asked questions

How much farmland in Hidalgo County is foreign-owned?
USDA AFIDA filings report 221,563 acres of agricultural land in Hidalgo County, Texas held by foreign persons or entities, across 579 disclosure records and 301 distinct owners (FY2024 data).
Which countries own farmland in Hidalgo County?
The largest reported holder countries are Mexico (69,817 acres), United Arab Emirates (68,134 acres), Portugal (26,305 acres).
Who are the largest foreign landowners in Hidalgo County?
The top reported owners by acreage include MCALLEN DE CHAPA, MILDRED (36,357 acres). The full top-10 owner list with per-owner values is in the Hidalgo County Citizen Report.
Where does this data come from?
The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 requires foreign persons holding U.S. agricultural land interests to report them to USDA. Figures here are aggregated from USDA FSA AFIDA FY2024 disclosure filings — reported interests, not allegations.