Even as USDA announced another New World Screwworm infestation in south Texas on Saturday in Jim Hogg County, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins was in Metapa, Mexico, to officially open the new sterile fly facility. that USDA started building in coordination with the Mexican government eleven months ago.
The United States Department of Agriculture invested $21 million to renovate and convert an existing fruit fly facility in Metapa, Mexico. Once complete, the facility is expected to produce an additional 60–100 million sterile NWS flies per week. Mexico expects first eradiation mid-July to produce 30 million flies.
Secretary Rollins announced her travel and the ceremony on X:
“On June 18th of last year, our Trump USDA launched a bold 5-point action plan to defeat New World screwworm and protect our great American ranchers.
“Once considered fully eradicated from the United States (since 1966), the NWS breached the Darien Gap in 2021, through Central America in 2022, and made its way northward and into Mexico through 2023 and 2024. All models showed it reaching the US by Summer 2025.
“We were able to hold it off for a full year by closing the ports and surging USDA staff into Mexico, which allowed us to prepare, build, contain and partner. As part of that 5-point plan, eleven months ago, USDA began building a Massive 22,000 square ft facility in Metapa, Mx to significantly add to our total sterile fly capabilities.
“Today represents a major milestone in that fight with the OFFICIAL OPENING of that facility. Within 8 weeks, we should have 30 million flies, in 12 weeks – 50 million flies, and by this Fall an additional 100 million flies to deploy. I was honored to join President @Claudiashein and @USAmbMex at the opening earlier today, alongside other key members of her administration.
“We toured the beautiful new facility (who knew a sterile fly facility could mean so much), met the incredible USDA team on the ground that made it happen in record time, and discussed the importance of integrating the new NOVO fly into production as soon as possible. Of course that will double our 100 million weekly sterile flies within months. All really good news.”
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association president Stephen Diebel released the following statement after the United States Department of Agriculture announced the opening of the Metapa sterile fly production facility to combat the spread of New World screwworm:
“The goal has always been to increase production of sterile flies, and the Metapa facility expands our capacity to better respond and ultimately eradicate New World screwworm. This facility was a commitment made by Secretary Rollins and USDA last May and the opening of this facility makes true on this promise. We appreciate Secretary Rollins and the rest of the Trump Administration for their steadfast support of Texas ranchers.
Every sterile fly produced helps the U.S. get closer to eradicating NWS and establishing a biological and geographical barrier to protect Texas ranchers and landowners.”
Since June third, there have been 26 cases of New World Screwworm reported in the US, with 21 of those cases still considered to be active. The most recent case is a calf found in Jim Hogg County. That is the furthest south in Texas of any case to date.
Learn more about the USDA efforts to battle New World Screwworm at their official website- Screwworm.Gov.
