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The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture announced earlier this week that risk-based port re-opening for cattle, equines and bison crossing the US Mexico border may begin as early as July 7. This phased reopening comes as the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) experts and their counterparts in Mexico worked in collaboration to increase the surveillance, detection and eradication of New World Screwworm (NWS). The phased re-opening will begin at southern ports beginning in Douglas, Arizona for the first time since the Secretary closed the US/Mexico border on May 11th.
Aphis notes that progress was made in several critical areas, in particular flights in Mexico allowing officials to consistently conduct sterile New World Screwworm fly dispersals at the rate of 100 million flies each week dispersing 7 days a week. Five teams from APHIS were sent to the area to observe the response and no notable increase in reported New World Screwworm cases have been reported in Mexico with no northward movement of the pest observed in the past eight weeks.
Secretary Rollins said; “At USDA we are focused on fighting the New World Screwworm’s advancement in Mexico. We have made good progress with our counterparts in Mexico to increase vital pest surveillance efforts and have boosted sterile fly dispersal eff orts. These quick actions by the Trump Administration have improved the conditions to allow the phased reopening of select ports on the Southern Border to livestock trade,” said Secretary Rollins. “We are continuing our posture of increased vigilance and will not rest until we are sure this devastating pest will not harm American ranchers.”
Dale Sandlin with Southeast AgNet