U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the federal government is making headway in keeping a dangerous livestock pest out of the country.
Testifying before House Agriculture appropriators last week, Rollins reported what she called “substantial progress” in efforts to prevent the spread of the New World Screwworm into the United States.
“We have significantly expanded sterile fly dispersal capacity, about a hundred (M) million…we have advanced next generation tools, working with the EPA…we have strengthened surveillance and screenings along the border,” said Rollins.
The parasite, which can be deadly to cattle and other warm-blooded animals, has recently been detected as close as 70 miles from the southern U.S. border.
She added, “We have been working very closely with the country of Mexico, the state of Tamaulipas…we’ve secured new emergency youth authorizations for prevention and treatment, completed audits…again, deploying a lot of USDA staff into Mexico. Tomorrow, we’ll be breaking ground on an almost 1(B) billion-dollar sterile fly facility.”
The update comes at a critical time for the livestock sector, with U.S. cattle inventories sitting at their lowest levels in more than 75 years. Industry leaders warn that an outbreak could further strain already tight supplies and drive up costs for producers and consumers alike.
