After closing in 2024, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced that Santa Rosa’s sugar mill will reopen.

Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, Inc. was the last remaining sugar operation in Texas before it closed after 51 years in business due to a lack of water in the area, according to previous reports.

On Friday, Miller announced the creation of Santa Rosa Sugar LLC, which aims to revive the mill “for a new era of agricultural and economic development.”

The reopening of the mill will be done in four phases, with the sugar mill being revived in 2026, according to the news release.

“Sugarcane has been part of Texas agriculture for over a century,” Miller said in a statement. “When the mill closed in 2024, it wasn’t just a plant shutting down; it was a way of life for farm families, rural workers, and communities. The economic and cultural losses were profound. Restoring sugarcane means jobs, community revitalization, and preserving an important part of Texas’s agricultural history.”

According to the release, Santa Rosa Sugar LLC is a collaboration between Bizos Cavallo, Vera International, and Verax Commodities.

The company will use advanced technology and modern farming practices to revive the mill, and over 130 sugar farms across the Rio Grande Valley. The move will ensure "a sustainable and thriving future for growers and their communities," according to the release.

The release stated that the original shutdown of the mill impacted between 1,100 and 2,900 jobs. Reviving the Santa Rosa mill is expected to bring these jobs back and create new growth throughout the region.

The reopening of the mill will be done in four phases. The first phase kicks off this year and includes land acquisition.

Phase two starts also starts in 2025 and lasts through 2026 to focus on scaling grower networks, upgrading water systems with advanced recycling technologies, and preparing for refinery construction.

Phase three will kick off in 2026 and includes workforce expansion, the relaunch of the mill, and the start of production for all commercial and retail sugar types, including crystal, liquid, and powdered sugar.

According to the release, phase four kicks off in 2028 and will expand acreage, fully integrate production, and establish nationwide distribution.