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USDA to fund Arizona facility to fight flesh-eating livestock pest
The sterile fly facility will support efforts to contain a pest that has driven U.S. beef prices to record highs, officials said.
On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the USDA will spend $25 million on a sterile fly dispersal facility in Arizona to counter the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating livestock pest.
The facility supports containment efforts as the USDA prepares to lift a ban on Mexican cattle imports, which previously pushed beef prices to record highs and pressured President Donald Trump's administration to lower costs.
While some producers fear increased infestation risks, Arizona has reported no confirmed cases; the Arizona Livestock Incident Response Team has increased screening protocols as nine active cases exist in the United States.
Livestock trade will resume through the Douglas Port on Aug. 24, with two additional ports opening in New Mexico; Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said, "Arizona is moving quickly and decisively to stay ahead of the situation."
The USDA intends to push the pest back to the geographic boundary of the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia, supported by a $750 million production plant under construction in Texas and existing facilities in Mexico.