WASHINGTON (RFD-TV) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is pushing back against what it calls “ineffective solutions” proposed by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in the fight against New World Screwworm (NWS).
In an exclusive statement to RFD-TV News, USDA officials defended their $750 million plan to build a sterile fly production facility at the southern border— calling it the most aggressive response in U.S. history — and also accused Miller of disregarding proven methods for quick publicity.
“USDA, in conjunction with the entire federal government, has launched the most aggressive plan to combat the New World Screwworm in the history of our country, including committing up to $750 million to build a sterile fly production facility at the Southern Border at Moore Air Base,” the USDA spokesperson said.
Commissioner Miller advocates for using fly bait traps to combat the cattle parasite — a plan he said he will implement in his state, “with or without buy-in from the USDA,” and claims could knock out NWS in 90 days.
“Commissioner Miller is blatantly disregarding tried and true NWS offensive strategies in favor of clickbait publicity stunts,” the USDA spokesperson told RFD-TV News. “USDA looks forward to working with any and all partners who seek to find REAL solutions to defeat the NWS.”
"USDA can no longer keep wasting its time and personnel to deploy Commissioner Miller’s infamous traps, which USDA has deployed, tested, and has proven ineffective."
The USDA says that they tried Miller’s method, and it “has proven ineffective,” saying its own traps caught thousands of flies in a month, while Miller’s only trapped one.
“We won’t defeat it overnight,” said the USDA spokesperson. “It will take all of us at the federal and state level working together to combat it.”
The USDA maintains that its five-step plan to address NWS, which includes the sterile fly facility and up to $100 million in investments for biosecurity innovation, is a proven method with tangible results, unlike Miller’s proposal.
“USDA will remain focused on our five-pronged plan to boost sterile fly production and dispersal and work with Mexico to increase real-time surveillance in Latin America — real actions that are delivering results,” the USDA spokesperson said."Never before has the U.S. been this involved on the ground in Mexico. This is a national security issue, and it has the full attention of the Trump administration.”
Read the USDA’s Full Statement to RFD-TV News below:
USDA, in conjunction with the entire federal government, has launched the most aggressive plan to combat the New World Screwworm in the history of our country, including committing up to $750 million to build a sterile fly production facility at the Southern Border at Moore Air Base. Sterile flies are the most tried and true way to ensure the U.S. is protected from this pest. In the meantime, as the facility is built, USDA is launching up to $100 million to fund innovations that can be rapidly deployed over the next year to two years. In addition, USDA is making bold and impactful progress with Mexico on improving surveillance, trapping, increasing fly production, and putting in place movement restrictions in infected areas.
While this pest didn’t get close to the U.S. overnight, and we won’t defeat it overnight, it will take all of us at the federal and state level working together to combat it.
Following comments on the effectiveness of USDA’s plan to combat NWS and after many months of good faith collaboration with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller on potential “solutions”, USDA can no longer keep wasting its time and personnel to deploy Commissioner Miller’s infamous traps which USDA has deployed, tested, and has proven ineffective. In one month, USDA’s traps in Panama caught thousands of New World Screwworm flies - Commissioner Miller’s traps caught ONE single NWS fly. When presented with the results of his traps underperforming, Commissioner Miller indicated USDA staff should “paint them black” to which USDA declined.
Commissioner Miller is blatantly disregarding tried and true NWS offensive strategies in favor of clickbait publicity stunts.
USDA will remain focused on our five-pronged plan to boost sterile fly production and dispersal and work with Mexico to increase real time surveillance in Latin America. Real actions that are delivering results. Never before has the U.S. been this involved on the ground in Mexico. This is a national security issue, and it has the full attention of the Trump administration.
USDA looks forward to working with any and all partners who seek to find REAL solutions to defeat the NWS.
