News

Adjustments to breeding and surveillance practices amid New World screwworm concerns

A cow-calf producer in south Texas says the threat of New World screwworm has had an impact on animal husbandry practices.  

Stephen Diebel president of the Texas Southwest Cattle Raisers Association says producers need to be proactive. “We’re going to have to be very diligent with regards to really short and concise breeding seasons,” he says. “I think that we’re going to have to be very reliant on surveillance.” 

He tells Brownfield producers have access to new control measures available that weren’t around the last time the U.S. dealt with the pest.   “Hopefully, we’ll be able to buy some time, where we can have additional, fly production in the event that it’s needed,” he says.   

Currently there is only one available sterile fly production facility, it is located in Panama.  A second facility, which is set to come online this summer in Matapa, Mexico, is expected to add an additional 65 to 70 million flies per week.  A third production facility in South Texas is expected to begin production in late 2027, and is projected to add another 300 million sterile flies each week.