The nation’s largest cattle group says they are happy with USDA’s plan of attack against the New World Screwworm. They note that while action is needed, it will be a heavy lift.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Ethan Lane says action is crucial right now and notes the proposed facilities will have their work cut out for them.
“You know, to really beat this thing back, we’re gonna need 3 or 4 or 500 million flies per week. This is going to help us get to that target zone, as well as substantial investments in both manpower and equipment with the Mexican government, to ensure that they’re doing the appropriate monitoring and surveillance, not just in cattle populations, but wildlife populations, people, all of those different things, that we know are moving back and forth through Mexico that could potentially carry this fly closer to the U.S. border.”
Senate Ag Committee Chair John Boozman is also on board with the plan. He calls the pest a threat to American agriculture and applauds the efforts to protect rural communities.
