From screwworm preparedness to big wins in dietary guidelines, leaders say the stakes are high for producers across the country. In a conversation with RFD-TV’s Tony St.James, NCBA‘s Sigrid Johannes discusses New World Screwworm and other challenges – as well as a big win – on the minds of everyone within U.S. cattle industry.
Johannes acknowledges that everyone within the industry is watching with great concern as the New World Screwworm outbreak advances northward through Mexico, but she stresses that it isn’t all bad news. Significant progress has been made along three major axes of defense:
Sterile Fly Facilities - One (Chiapas, Mexico) is scheduled to come on board in July and a second (Moore Airfile, in south Texas) coming along.
Treatment - Just a year ago, there were no approved drugs to treat infected cattle, and now there are two, an injectible Duramectin and a topical Fluralaner.
Movement Controls - NCBA is working on a detailed response playbook with USDA that will be used to restrict movement within an infection zone and protect continuity of business in the event of an outbreak.
This is not a one-state problem, Johannes stresses, and livestock owners across the nation need to maintain vigilance, as soil conditions in large areas of the country are suitable for supporting the reproductive life cycle of the fly.
Switching gears, Johannes praised the recent flipping of the food pyramid that emphasizes consumption of red meat – beef specifically, which uniquely contains an abundant amount of protein, iron, other essential minerals, and healthy fats.
