LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) — Mexican cattle imports could begin rebuilding feeder supplies in southern states without ending the broader U.S. cattle shortage. Tyler Cozzens, director of the Livestock Marketing Information Center, says in an interview with Agriculture Today from Kansas State that the phased border reopening begins August 24 at Douglas, Arizona.
USDA plans additional operational steps for Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico. Every animal will receive a federal inspection, and reopening could pause if New World screwworm risks increase.
Before the closure, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas handled about 1.2 million Mexican cattle annually. Douglas, Columbus, and Santa Teresa together historically moved roughly 16,000 head per week, although volumes are unlikely to recover immediately.
Texas and Arizona could receive many of the first placements because feedlot inventories there remain below year-ago levels. Other Plains states entered July with more cattle already on feed.
Imports may temporarily pressure feeder prices, but national supplies remain tight. Weekly border flows and animal-health conditions will determine how quickly additional cattle reach feedlots.
