Senior farm and ranch broadcater Ron Hays continues day two of our conversation with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall who addressed the question of whether cattle from Mexico pose a risk of bringing New World screw worm into the U.S. He explained that protocols have already proven effective: “When you step back and think about the course of 2025, we had a protocol that was put in place in January, and that protocol was in place through May, where we were able to cross cattle while protecting ourselves from New World screw worm. It was a protocol that we were comfortable with. The Mexican government was doing a really good job of compliance with, and we know that we can balance trade and biosecurity.”
Woodall cautioned against politically motivated decisions rather than science-based ones. He pointed to past trade challenges as a warning: “If there is science behind the action, then, you know, look, that is one thing. If it’s political only, we have to keep in mind that that only gets you so far. Let’s think about BSE and the decades it took us to get back in some of those countries because of knee-jerk reactions that weren’t based upon science. We don’t want to do something here that would be similar that other trading partners could use against us.”
When asked about the greatest threat, Woodall emphasized wildlife movement rather than cattle imports. “We know those cattle had multiple inspections, received multiple treatments. The deer that cross back and forth don’t, and while we can do everything possible to remain vigilant in looking at our cattle… we can’t do the same with white tail deer, for example, down in South Texas.”
Woodall also stressed the importance of preparation and readiness across the industry. “We just want to make sure producers are prepared and ready, and we have a lot of those resources already ready to go. The FDA put out an emergency order that allows for off-label use of products that we know are effective against New World screw worm. We know that we can kill those larva and we know how to eradicate it—it’s just a matter of getting as many of these sterile flies produced as quickly as possible.”
Finally, Woodall praised the federal government’s response, especially under Secretary Rollins. “The Secretary’s leadership has been tremendous, and throughout her team, we have had consistent communication on their plans. We’ve also had conversations directly with the White House. We do believe this is definitely a priority, not just for the Secretary, but for the President, his entire administration. We are very pleased with the actions we have seen thus far in showing that leadership and being able to take some action, make some decisions that will ultimately help us win this battle.”
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