In today’s Beef Buzz, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Colin Woodall, Chief Executive Officer of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, about the ongoing response to the New World Screwworm and why additional cases do not mean response efforts have failed.
Woodall said the coordinated effort by USDA, state animal health officials, and other agencies has been encouraging. “When you look at the overall response, we have been very pleased, both from the USDA standpoint and also from the Texas Animal Health Commission. New Mexico, of course, has had one case, and they also responded very well,” Woodall said.
He credited the industry’s preparation over the past year and a half for the organized response. “I think it’s a testament to having a year and a half to prepare and to be able to pressure test our approach, make sure that all the stakeholders were a part of the discussion, and all of that has led to what has been a fairly smooth and calculated response.”
Woodall emphasized that increasing case numbers were anticipated while sterile fly production continues to ramp up. “There has been some conversation saying, ‘Well, since we see more cases, then maybe the response has failed,’ and that’s just patently false,” he said. “We knew that there were going to be more cases. There will continue to be more cases until we have enough flies. This is all about a race for the number of flies that we need, which USDA continues to tell us is about 500 million a week. Until we have that 500 million, we are going to see additional cases. But that’s not a failure in the response—that was expected.”
Food Security Is National Security
Woodall said the response has extended well beyond USDA, with agencies across the federal government working together to protect the livestock industry. “When you look at EPA’s role in improving new technologies, when you look at FDA’s role in improving new technologies, this truly has been an administration-wide response,” he said. “Great cooperation, and they definitely have our needs as producers front and center of their decision-making process. They know what the impact is for this industry, and they are doing everything they can to help us.”
He also noted that agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense have become involved because of the broader implications for the nation’s food supply. “That goes back to about a year ago where we had multiple cabinet-level secretaries come together and make it very clear that national security is based upon our food security,” Woodall said. “That has opened the doors to so many more conversations and bringing in people like the Department of War, the Department of Homeland Security to come in and look at all the challenges that we have, and Screwworm being one of those.”
Woodall believes the broad collaboration has helped keep response efforts moving efficiently. “So that multiple agency, multiple department response, I think, is also one of the reasons why we have seen such a smooth effort here, because so many people are a part of this, and while sometimes when you have so many people from the government it can slow things down, in this case it really hasn’t.”
Sterile Fly Facility Moving at ‘Warp Speed’
A major part of the response is the construction of a sterile fly production facility in South Texas, a project involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “When you hear Secretary Rollins talk about this new facility, she makes it very clear that they are moving at warp speed,” Woodall said.
He explained that building the facility is far more complex than a typical construction project. “This has to be at least a biosecurity level three lab, which is something that you don’t just set up on the corner overnight,” he said. “Also, right now, the main technology used to sterilize these flies is a radioactive form of cobalt. Again, you have to be able to protect the surrounding communities, the workers, the facility. So this is not an easy construction job.”
Woodall said the pace of construction reflects the administration’s commitment to stopping the pest. “For them to be able to be moving as quickly as they are, and the Corps of Engineers being a part of it again is a testament to the administration making it very clear that the New World Screwworm response is a priority.”
Even with progress being made, Woodall stressed producers should not underestimate the threat. “I want to make sure everybody understands that we’re not marginalizing this by saying, ‘Hey, the response is going well.’ No, this is still a problem. It’s a management problem. It’s going to cost our industry money. It’s costing producers money now, but we will beat it back.”
Producer Education Remains Critical
Woodall praised state cattle organizations for helping educate producers and supporting response efforts on the ground, especially in Texas. “I think the best example of that is what we’re seeing right now down in Texas with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, and of course the Texas Beef Council,” he said. “The three of them have really led the charge down there in Texas, not only in working with the government entities in the response, working with producers, but in just overall producer education on what to look for, how to respond, who to call.”
He encouraged producers to remain vigilant and involve their veterinarians whenever they suspect something unusual. “One of the things that we want to make sure everybody understands is if you see something suspicious, whether it’s a screwworm or not, call your vet, and the vet will help determine what it is,” Woodall said. “If we need to call in other agencies, then the vet will be able to help us do that. So just make sure you’ve got a great connection to your local vet.”
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.
