USDA announced last night it is again closing southern ports of entry to shipments of cattle due to the detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in Veracruz, MX. USDA discovered this new case in northern Veracruz, indicating the pest has traveled 160 miles north of the location where sterile flies currently are being dropped. This puts the screwworm about 370 miles south of the U.S. border.
“The United States has promised to be vigilant—and after detecting this new NWS case, we are pausing the planned port reopening’s to further quarantine and target this deadly pest in Mexico. We must see additional progress combatting NWS in Veracruz and other nearby Mexican states in order to reopen livestock ports along the southern border,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.
This new detection comes about two months after discoveries were reported in Oaxaca and Veracruz, less than 700 miles away from the U.S. border, which triggered the closure of ports to Mexican cattle, bison and horses May 11. While USDA had announced a risk-based phased port reopening strategy that began July 7, this new NWS case raises significant concern about the previously reported information shared by Mexican officials and severely compromises the original plan. Therefore, Secretary Rollins has ordered the closure of livestock trade through southern ports of entry effective immediately.
In June, USDA announced Moore Air Base would be the site of a new sterile fly dispersal facility in south Texas. NCBA is urging the agency to expedite the development of the facility and ensure it can produce enough flies to safeguard the American cattle industry.