With no active cases of New World screwworm, USDA says that efforts to combat the pest are not slowing down.
Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized that working closely with Mexico remains a top priority to prevent the spread from Central America.
According to Sec. Rollins, “In February, USDA and Mexico implemented a comprehensive pre-clearance inspection and treatment protocol to ensure safe movement of our livestock across the southern border. Many have said, I’ve only been on the job about seven or eight months, but many have said that our partnership with Mexico right now is as strong and as transparent as it has been in decades. So grateful to my counterpart, Secretary Julio Berdegué over there, and will continue to work daily with him.”
She says that Mexico’s decision to halt cattle movement within its borders will contribute to the eradication of the pest.
“We’ll continue to ensure that no matter the circumstance, our U.S. food supply will remain safe. Thankfully, in addition to the U.S. southern port closures, Mexico has agreed within their borders to hold all animal movement in affected zones. So this is a very big deal. They’re not moving all their cattle to our border, and then they sit there. Mexico has agreed to stop all movement of their cattle. This was a few months ago, and we believe that will continue to help us push the New World screwworm back to the Darién Gap and hopefully towards eradication.”
As part of that initiative, Rollins says that USDA and other agencies are sending personnel south of the border.
