At the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in San Diego, Senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with Jason Skaggs, CEO of the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Our Coverage from San Diego is powered by Farm Data Services of Stillwater.
Concerns over the New World screwworm have risen sharply among cattle producers in the Southwest, and Jason Skaggs confirmed it has become a major concern since late 2023. “It’s New World screw worms been top of mind since, really, about last October for us,” Skaggs said, noting the seriousness with which the association is tracking its northward movement. “You read all the old history books, talk to a lot of the old timers, and they tell you how bad it was.” Skaggs also reminded producers that TSCRA maintains a strong presence in Oklahoma, where its special rangers and members are staying alert to the potential threat.
Skaggs emphasized the ongoing U.S. efforts to contain the pest in Panama and Mexico, including support for the COPEG sterile fly facility. But with the pest moving again, the organization is working to raise awareness. “We’re trying to get people educated, you know, a whole new generation now, folks that have never had to deal with it,” Skaggs explained. He said they’re “really trying to revamp and re-up all of our efforts,” while also taking “a few pages out of the playbook from the past.”
In terms of response, Skaggs praised Brooke Rollins and USDA officials for acting quickly, noting the recent announcement of a new sterile fly dispersal facility in South Texas. “Secretary Rollins has been a stalwart for us on this… She announced a new fly disbursement facility down in the Moore Airfield, Mission, Texas area,” he shared. He described the response as being both short- and long-term oriented, saying “we’re certainly looking at all options.”
He also addressed proposed federal legislation that would fund a domestic sterile fly production facility. “We still think that’s the tried, true method of battling this pest… meaning in Texas that we can produce our own flies,” Skaggs stated. “We need to have that on our own facility here that’s funded, hopefully by the federal government.” While prevention remains the goal, he warned, “we also want to make sure that we’re ready, in case they do” arrive.
Finally, Skaggs noted the increasing workload for the association’s special rangers, especially in Oklahoma and Texas, amid growing rural crime. “They work all day and night on cattle theft cases, livestock theft cases, but also complicated cases—bank fraud, check fraud,” he said. “We’ve got 30 special Rangers scattered all through Texas and Oklahoma. They’re solely funded from our membership dues,” he added, expressing pride in their critical role protecting ranchers and livestock owners across the region.
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