Mexico is now reacting to Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins’ decision to suspend cattle imports due to the spread of new world screwworm.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has described the move as unfair and says the Mexican government has been working on all fronts to prevent the spread. However, USDA says an “unacceptable northward advancement” has taken place and the suspension is a result of that.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association supports the move. According to Ethan Lane:
“This really is a time for us to be looking at those controls in Mexico, looking at what we’ve got going on at our own border, and then continuing to engage with Congress and illustrating to them just how pressing it is— as part of these ongoing funding and budget discussions in DC make sure they’re thinking about the fact that this is going to be an expensive fix and even more expensive if we end up with new world screwworm here in the Untied States. So we’ve got to be serious about ramping up production of sterile flies here in the U.S. We’re going to need several hundred million more a week than we have now to even begin to mount a defense against this, nevertheless, push it back down into Central America, and that is not a cheap proposition. We’re talking about several hundred million dollars here at a minimum.”
Lane says that Secretary Sollins deserves a lot of credit for taking decisive action. The import ban will be evaluated on a monthly basis.
Our friend Jake Charleston at Specialty Risk Insurance joins us for an industry update.
November 19, 2025 03:25 PM
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Expanded aerial capacity strengthens the U.S.–Mexico buffer against screwworm, providing cattle producers with stronger protection heading into winter and reducing risk to herds along the southern tier.
November 14, 2025 10:34 AM
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The facility will increase the range of sterile fly release and bolster preparedness for New World Screwworm.
November 13, 2025 01:15 PM
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November 13, 2025 10:33 AM
A court decision that overturns Enlist labels would remove two major herbicides from use and reshape EPA’s future mitigation policies for other pesticides.
November 12, 2025 12:27 PM
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Experts highlight the importance of monitoring insecticide resistance in crops and improving disease traceability at livestock shows through RFID technology.
November 10, 2025 12:22 PM
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Tight cattle supplies keep prices high for ranchers, but policy shifts, export barriers, and packer losses signal a volatile road ahead for the beef supply chain.
November 07, 2025 11:02 AM
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Texas Cattle Feeders Association Chairman Robby Kirkland explains how the ongoing U.S.-Mexico border closure impacts feed yards that rely on Mexican cattle due to the New World Screwworm.
November 06, 2025 12:01 PM
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The Sheinbaum–Rollins meeting signals progress, but the focus remains on fully containing screwworm before cross-border movement resumes.
November 05, 2025 10:18 AM
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