The U.S. is set to breed thousands of sterile flies in a facility located in southern Texas. The aim? To protect American cattle from a troubling pest known as the New World Screwworms, which have been causing issues in Mexico.
These pests, described by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “devastating,” can inflict severe and even fatal damage by burrowing into living animals. Livestock, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, people can fall victim to their attacks.
The new plant, positioned roughly 20 miles north of the Texas-Mexico border at Moore Air Force Base, will have an estimated cost of $750 million.
The USDA points out that sterile flies represent the “most effective way” to curb the spread of these serious pests. They aim to produce enough flies and release them into the wild within a year.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins mentioned a planned $100 million investment in various technologies, including traps, lures, and even border patrols carried out by horse-mounted “tick riders.”
According to Rollins, imports of cattle, horses, and bison from Mexico will remain shut off until the parasite issue is under control, particularly near Panama. “Farm security is national security,” she stated during a press briefing attended by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. “It’s an important concern for all Americans, particularly in states like Texas, which are at the forefront of this challenge.”
Meanwhile, the Mexican cattle industry is grappling with these parasites, and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture is reportedly planning measures to address the situation.
Historically, New World Screwworms posed significant problems for American cattle until they were mostly eliminated in the 1970s by breeding sterile flies, which ultimately led to the closure of related facilities.
