U.S.-Mexico Border Closure Hits Feed Lots Hard

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.

VEGA, TEXAS (RFD-TV) — Texas and New Mexico feed yards are facing slim inventories as the U.S.-Mexico border remains closed to cattle. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins traveled to Mexico City earlier this week for a meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and ag leaders. While the meeting reportedly went very well, no timeline has been set to resume imports.

Texas Cattle Feeders Association Chairman Robby Kirkland joined us on Thursday’s Market Day Report to discuss how the closure has affected feed yards that rely on Mexican cattle to fill their lots.

In his interview with RFD-TV News, Kirkland shared producer sentiment following the meeting between U.S. and Mexican officials, as many await news on when trade may resume — and how the most recent case of New World Screwworm, detected roughly 170 miles south of the U.S. border, could continue to stall those reopening efforts.

Kirkland also addressed the current state of the cattle industry amid the closure, noting historically tight cattle supplies and domestic calf numbers that continue to fall short of feedlot capacity.

Related Stories
Corn demand remains supportive, but weaker soybean buying limits overall export momentum.
Farm legal expert Roger McEowen discusses the EPA’s rescission of the 2009 endangerment finding on greenhouse gases and what it could mean for agriculture and rural America.
Chef and influencer Marcia Smart joined us to discuss Italian-inspired beef dishes, nutrition for active lifestyles, and how global events shape home cooking.
Farm numbers still favor small operations, but production, resilience, and risk management are increasingly concentrated among fewer, larger farms.
The USDA opened a new sterile fly-dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in South Texas to prevent a potential outbreak of New World screwworm and protect the small U.S. cattle herd.
China’s reliance on imported soybeans remains entrenched, shaping global demand and trade leverage.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney says farmers there are already sounding the alarm about what this could mean for the future of ag research.
Global pork production is expected to rise in the first half of 2026, despite trade volatility stemming from shifting import policies and swine disease pressures.
Clear right-to-repair guidance reduces downtime, repair costs, and operational risk.
Tennessee State Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Batey joined us with the latest on biosecurity efforts and the state’s new “Know Before You Show” initiative.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller discusses the state’s latest efforts to prevent the New World screwworm from reaching Texas.
Economists are also closely watching how policy decisions in Washington could influence markets moving forward. Analysts say deferred futures for corn, soybeans, and wheat suggest markets are operating near break-even levels, not at prices that would encourage expanded production.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.