Texas governor wants to speed up work on a fly-breeding factory to fight a cattle parasite
The USDA says the Texas facility could produce up to 300 million sterile flies a week as officials race to contain the infestation.
- On Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pledged state funds and 24-hour construction work to accelerate a $750 million sterile-screwworm breeding facility near Edinburg, aiming to counter the recent infestation threatening the US$113-billion cattle industry.
- The USDA confirmed New World screwworm larvae in a 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, Texas, this week—the state's first case since 1966—prompting Abbott to warn that Texas "cannot make it through a second summer" without increased fly production.
- Past eradication efforts required about 500 million flies weekly, but current and planned facilities can produce only up to 300 million, leaving USDA officials to strategically deploy the 130 million flies already dispersed in Texas since January.
- Federal officials have already shortened planning and construction timelines considerably, while the USDA invested $21 million to convert a southern Mexico site; Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins hopes for an opening earlier than the planned November 2027 date.
- Oklahoma State University professor Derrell Peel said the infestation is "probably not a major market issue," noting consumers already pay record prices and the arrival "doesn't change the supply fundamentals" unless officials restrict cattle movement significantly.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Texas governor wants to speed up work on a fly-breeding factory to fight a cattle parasite - Regional Media News
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expressed concern Friday that a new factory isn't expected to start breeding sterile New World screwworm flies for more than a year as a big part of the effort to stop its flesh-eating larvae from threatening the $113 U.S. billion cattle industry. Abbott pledged Texas will help the U.S. Department of Agriculture accelerate construction of the $750 million breeding facility outside Edinburg, Texas, about 20 miles (32 kilome…
Texas Governor Greg Abbott expressed concern Friday that a new factory is not expected to begin breeding sterile New World screwworm flies for more than a year.
Associated Press News
Texas governor wants to speed up work on a fly-breeding factory to fight a cattle parasite
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is concerned that a new factory isn’t expected to start work for more than a year on mitigating the New World screwworm fly infestation in his state.
KTAL NBC 6 News
CW39 HoustonGov. Abbott updates emergency declaration to speed up sterile fly production
Gov. Greg Abbott criticized the response to the flesh-eating New World screwworm (NWS) parasite that has made its way into Texas during an hour-and-a-half briefing with federal and state personnel on Friday morning, and has pledged any and all state resources to speed up sterile fly production to stop the parasite.
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