Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says she will make what she calls the “biggest announcement to date” in the fight against New World Screwworm this week in Texas.
The flesh-eating pest has been advancing North from Central America, prompting repeated closures of U.S. livestock imports from Mexico. Texas recently revived the use of swormlure bait, a 1970s-era control method.
The USDA shut down the border again last month after detecting the pest’s spread, just days after partially opening it. Rollins says the U.S. is working more closely than ever with Mexico on eradication efforts.
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“Good flies? Is that like a good fire ant?” Miller said. “I don’t know what a good fly is. I don’t know if they’re afraid to kill house flies or stable flies, but I’m ready to kill the screwworm fly.”
Large animal veterinarian Dr. Rosalyn Biggs with Oklahoma State University warns producers may not be prepared for the real threat of New World Screwworm.
Mexico’s tougher, two-step treatment and added checkpoints are catching cases before they can spread—good news for producers near the border.
Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn joined us Monday to share highlights from Secretary Brooke Rollins’ visit and her perspective on USDA’s new initiatives.
