Courtesy of USDA/APHIS
The USDA is headlong into the construction of a domestic sterile fly production facility in Texas and we caught up with USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden to get an update on the department’s efforts.
Deputy Secretary Vaden said, “So we are on track and on time with regard to that, and even more exciting, with regard to the New World Screwworm, basically we’ve been losing half of the production at every facility because what we need are sterile male flies, but of course with nature, half of what you get are female flies, and those to this particular enterprise are useless. Thanks to our agricultural research service, we now have the ability to pump out 100% sterile male flies only, no wastage. That has the effect of doubling production without any change in the available facilities.“
“We expect to be able, once EPA approves that innovation is safe later this year, to have those all facilities, including the one under construction at Moore Air Base, pumping out 100% sterile male flies, which will make our ability to push this pest back further south where it belongs to take root and begin to have great effect. Not just to hold it, but to push it further south. So I’m as excited about that as I am the fact that Moore Air Base is on time, on budget, and will begin producing on schedule,” said Vaden.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.