The cost is racking up to eradicate and prevent New World Screwworm from entering the U.S.

The fight against New World Screwworm is getting expensive. NCBA says full eradication is costly, which is why prevention is a top priority.

“The dominoes in Central America fell fast, and we saw it from November of last year up and through the winter into the spring, we saw this disease move quickly through Central America into Mexico, and that is why such an urgent concern for the United States now because it is right at our southern neighbor, and we’ve got to make sure we keep it out of the U.S. cattle herd. It is an extremely expensive disease to eradicate once you have it, so prevention is worth everything here,” said Sigrid Johannes of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

One facility producing sterile flies is up and running in Panama. Mexico is currently working on another, with one planned in Texas later this year.

Related Stories
Florida’s import rule shows New World screwworm concerns are already affecting livestock movement and market conditions.
South Texas producers remain on alert as screwworm concerns grow; sterile fly efforts underway to prevent spread.
Strong demand for U.S. beef in Mexico is boosting exports, with buyers seeking both variety meats and high-quality cuts like Prime and Choice ribeye.
Oklahoma livestock economist Dr. Derrell Peel helps us break down the April Cattle-on-Feed report and what it signals for herd rebuilding, supplies and prices moving forward.
Groundbreaking Marks Next Major Milestone in Strengthening U.S. New World Screwworm Preparedness
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller joins us with an update on the most recent case of New World screwworm 90 miles from the U.S. Southern border.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Financial matters in farming can be frustratingly complicated, especially when it comes to the process of filing for bankruptcy. That is the topic tackled in today’s blog post by Farm-Legal Expert Roger A. McEowen—the definition of “insolvency” for purposes of the exclusion from income of CODI.
The “farm products rule,” and the 1985 Farm Bill modification and its application – that is the topic of today’s blog post from Agri-Legal Expert Roger McEowen.
Now that Washington lawmakers have passed a 45-day stopgap, they have some breathing room to work through some hot-button topics like the high cost of the upcoming Farm Bill, which is due in large part to the funding necessary to support the Nutrition Title.
A recent news story involving a group of farmers in Mississippi reveals the potential downside of selling grain under a deferred payment contract. The risk of deferred payment ag commodity sales and what can be done for protection—that is the topic of today’s blog post.
Recently, a bank in Texas got confused on the financing rules governing agricultural crops and lost its security interest as a result. Ag financing and priority rules among competing security interests—that is the topic of today’s post.