In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays features comments from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who provided an update on the federal response to the New World Screwworm threat, highlighting progress on sterile fly production, new facilities, expanded surveillance efforts, and the Trump Administration’s latest preparedness initiatives.
Sterile Fly Production Coming Online
Rollins told listeners that the USDA has continued to expand its sterile fly strategy, noting significant investments already made in both South Texas and Mexico. “Earlier this year, we opened both a dispersal facility in South Texas, but also invested 10s of millions of dollars in refitting the fly facility in Metapa, Mexico, beginning last year, which those sterile flies will begin to come online this month, so very good timing.”
The sterile insect technique remains the cornerstone of New World Screwworm eradication efforts, with sterile male flies released to mate with wild populations and prevent reproduction.
Texas Production Facility Becomes Top Federal Priority
Rollins also shared an update on the sterile fly production facility under construction in far South Texas, saying the project has now been elevated to one of the federal government’s highest priorities. “As I was driving into Kerrville, we received an update from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” Rollins said. “They all along, since we started having these conversations last March, a year ago, have prioritized these facilities.”
She explained that the project is now receiving additional attention from top military leadership. “As of last Wednesday, they have now put one of their top commanders, Colonel Matthew Chase, on this as his sole project to help us combat the New World Screwworm.”
Rollins added that the Army Corps is applying the same accelerated construction approach it has used on other major projects around the country. “This project already was on warp speed, but now it has been put at literally the very top priority for the Department of War and the Army Corps of Engineers.”
‘We Need More Sterile Flies’
The administration has also named Texas native John Bellinger as senior advisor for New World Screwworm preparedness. Rollins said his focus is straightforward. “The obvious is we need more sterile flies, whether it’s the Novo fly or expanding what we have in Panama, in Mexico, getting Edinburgh open, and I’m going to turn over every stone to look for another BSL 2 lab.” Bellinger said.
He continued, “We are going to turn over every stone to find more sterile flies. We have to be ready next spring.”
Massive Surveillance and Preparedness Effort Underway
Beyond sterile fly production, Rollins emphasized that the USDA has spent the last year building an extensive detection and preparedness network along the southern border. “We have always been, over the last year, strengthening surveillance, detection, and preparedness.”
According to Rollins, USDA is currently “actively monitoring over 8,000 surveillance traps” placed along the U.S.-Mexico border and has examined “59,000-plus fly samples and over 19,000 wildlife specimens since January of last year.”
Additional efforts include expanded trapping, increased mounted patrols and tick riders, canine detection programs at border crossings, and preparedness exercises involving federal, state, and international partners. “We have expanded all monitoring activities and will continue to do so,” Rollins said.
Rapid Response Following Texas Detection
Following last week’s confirmation of New World Screwworm in South Texas, the USDA quickly implemented response measures. “You all know we established a 20-kilometer infested zone around the detection from last week and will continue to implement movement controls and surveillance in the region.”
Rollins said the USDA immediately began deploying sterile flies into the affected area. “We’ve expedited targeted release of the sterile flies, which mate with the New World Screwworm flies and prevent them from reproducing. By Wednesday night, we had already begun to deploy up to 4 million ground-release chambers in that particular area and will continue to do so in the areas that are coming online with a confirmation.”
Rollins concluded that surveillance, trapping, sterile fly production, and rapid-response capabilities will continue to expand as USDA works to prevent the pest from gaining a foothold in the United States.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR above for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
