The nation’s largest and oldest cattle organization- and three of it’s key affiliates here in the southwest have praised the decision by US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins as she is immediately stopping cattle, bison and horses from entering the United States from across the Rio Grande because of concerns regarding the New World Screwworm. Here are the releases from each of the groups:
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association:
Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to close the U.S. southern border to shipments of cattle, bison, and horses, due to the continued spread of New World screwworm beyond the phytosanitary border put in place to stop its advance. Today’s announcement is the latest move to halt the spread of this invasive pest that puts the entire U.S. livestock industry at risk.
“For months, NCBA and affiliated state cattle industry associations have been working with USDA officials urging their counterparts in Central America to take stronger action to stop the spread of New World screwworm. In the 1960s, America’s cattle and livestock producers spent years and millions of dollars to eradicate New World screwworm from the United States,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall.
The United States has long maintained its commitment to fighting New World screwworm by funding the production of sterile flies needed to keep this pest out of Central and North America. Despite the United States’ work to control the pest, weak governmental participation in Central America allowed the insect to spread north out of Panama. This has been coupled with a lack of timely action by officials in Mexico and now the U.S. cattle herd, other livestock, wildlife, pets, and humans are all at risk again.
NCBA has been working closely with USDA to monitor the situation and has also appealed directly to the Mexican government to do more to intervene and stop the spread. However, a variety of factors have allowed the northward migration of the pest to continue. NCBA and state affiliate volunteer leaders and staff have also worked with members of Congress to help support USDA’s efforts and will continue to seek every possible avenue to protect the U.S. cattle industry by preventing New World screwworm from reentering the United States.
“USDA’s border closure was entirely avoidable. U.S. government officials, NCBA and leaders from affiliated state cattle industry associations have been sounding the alarm for months. Unfortunately, the Mexican government created unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles which rendered prevention efforts ineffective and allowed screwworm cases to spread unchecked beyond control points in southern Mexico,” said Woodall. “The Mexican government’s failure to knock down senseless obstacles has left America with no alternative but a closure of the U.S. border until the outbreak is verifiably stopped and the flies pushed back south of Panama’s Darien Gap.”
NCBA acknowledges that the border closure will create economic harm for U.S. farmers and ranchers, and create supply chain disruptions, but the costs will be far less than if New World screwworm crosses into the United States and we’re forced to fight the pest on U.S. soil.
Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association:
The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) strongly supports the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to temporarily close the U.S. southern border to shipments of cattle, bison, and horses due to the continued northward spread of the New World screwworm.
“This is a decisive and necessary step to protect the health and integrity of the U.S. cattle herd,” said Michael Kelsey, Executive Vice President of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association. “New World screwworm is a devastating pest. Oklahoma cattle producers—like our peers across the country—remember the costly fight to eradicate it decades ago, and we cannot afford to allow it to reestablish itself in the U.S.”
OCA has been working alongside the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and other state affiliates for months, urging proactive measures to stop the pest’s spread. Despite repeated warnings and efforts, inadequate action by Central American and Mexican authorities has allowed the screwworm to spread beyond containment zones.
“While border closures always have economic consequences, the consequences of inaction would be far worse,” Kelsey added. “We commend Secretary Rollins for prioritizing biosecurity and thank USDA for their close communication with industry leaders. OCA remains committed to working with USDA, NCBA, and our partners in Congress to ensure this outbreak is contained and eradicated.”
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers:
In response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Secretary Brooke Rollins’ recent announcement to close the southern border to imports of cattle, horses, and bison in an effort to slow the northward spread of New World screwworm, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Carl Ray Polk Jr. released the following statement:
“Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association takes the threat of New World screwworm seriously. We commend Secretary Rollins and USDA for making a difficult but necessary decision to close the southern border. While this action presents short-term challenges for cattle raisers, it is a critical step to secure the long-term health of the U.S. cattle herd.
Cooperation from the Mexican government is essential, and this move sends a clear signal about the urgency of the situation. Our association has consistently supported a border closure if warranted, and while we continue to work toward a domestic sterile fly production facility, we are left to rely more heavily on ground-based containment efforts.”
Texas Cattle Feeders Association:
Texas Cattle Feeders Association’s statement on U.S. Agriculture Secretary Rollins’ Announcement to Close Southern Cattle Ports due to New World Screwworm (NWS)
Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced closure of the southern cattle ports due to continued northern migration of the New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico.
In the past week, NWS has been confirmed in the Mexican states of Vera Cruz and Oaxaca. The latest cases reported by Mexico are located to the west and north of the narrow Isthmus of Mexico, creating additional challenges for sterile fly distribution. The availability of NWS sterile flies is also constrained by the maximum production capacity of USDA’s facility in Panama, which has been producing 117 million sterile flies per week.
In late November 2024, Mexican officials notified the USDA that NWS was detected in the southernmost state of Mexico. Since that time, USDA has worked to increase deliveries of sterile flies from Panama to southern Mexico. Unfortunately, Mexican authorities have not been fully cooperative with USDA’s aviation contractors to facilitate receipt and distribution of the sterile flies.
In a letter dated April 26, Sec. Rollins expressed serious concerns with the lack of collaboration in the shared campaign to halt the northern migration of the NWS and push the pest back toward the biological barrier at the Darien Gap. Following issuance of the letter, Mexico responded by expedited permits for USDA’s aviation contractors and committing to other measures to combat NWS. Secretary Rollins also hosted her Mexican counterpart, Secretary of Agriculture Julio Berdegue, at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. on May 6. The meeting focused on efforts to eradicate the New World Screwworm and the 1944 Water Treaty.
TCFA leaders met with Sec. Rollins in March and April to urge the Secretary to focus on a two-pronged approach inclusive of (1) deploying sterile flies in Mexico and exploring options to expand sterile fly production to stop the northward migration of NWS and (2) enhancing inspection and surveillance of livestock at the U.S./Mexico border by hiring additional user-fee paid USDA-APHIS veterinarians and animal health inspectors.
Cattle and beef trade between the U.S. and Mexico has provided mutual benefits, and agricultural trade with Mexico has increased substantially under the USMCA free trade agreement negotiated by President Trump during his first term.
The health of the domestic cattle herd has been and will remain the top priority for TCFA. For decades, Mexican feeder cattle have crossed into the U.S. every year under stringent import protocols overseen by USDA-APHIS to ensure cattle are free of disease and pests. From 1930-2024, Mexican feeder cattle imports averaged more than 700,000 head per year and averaged 1.15 million head per year in the last 25 years. The only periods of time an embargo was placed on Mexican feeder cattle occurred on two occasions in the 1947-1954 timeframe due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Mexico, and from Nov. 2024 – Jan. 2025 due to initial confirmation of NWS in southern Mexico. Cattle crossings resumed in Feb. 2025 following implementation of enhanced treatment and inspection protocols by USDA-APHIS. Today, closure of the southern border ports comes at a time when U.S. cattle inventories are at a 73-year low.
On a per head basis, total U.S. beef and variety meat export value averaged $415 per fed head harvested in 2024. Korea, Japan, China and Mexico are the top markets for U.S. beef and variety meats. In 2024, exports to Mexico represented $53.41 export value per head.
In the weeks and months ahead, USDA-APHIS will work to expand sterile fly production and distribution capabilities and reevaluate live cattle imports from Mexico.
TCFA will continue to engage with Sec. Rollins and USDA-APHIS leadership to support their response efforts and explore options for reopening the southern cattle ports.
US Cattlemen’s Association
The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) expressed its sincere appreciation for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decisive action to close live animal imports at the southern border, in response to the surge of New World Screwworm (NWS) cases across Mexico. This is an issue USCA members shared widely in Washington, DC last week across USDA agencies and congressional offices. This coordinated measure, grounded in scientific expertise and decades of cross-border collaboration, is critical to preserving the health of America’s cattle herd and the future of the U.S. beef supply.
“We are grateful to Secretary Rollins and the USDA for recognizing the urgent threat posed by the New World Screwworm and making the hard decision to halt animal movement across the southern border,” USCA President Justin Tupper said, following an in-depth USDA-APHIS stakeholder briefing that included USCA policy staff. “Closing the border to Mexico will protect the U.S. beef supply and U.S. producers from the New World Screwworm. This is an issue that was resolved in the 1970s after the parasite caused severe and lasting damage to America’s cattle herd. Its re-emergence is a very serious issue with potentially catastrophic consequences if left unchecked.”
According to recent APHIS data shared with USCA and industry stakeholders, there have been over 1,400 detections of NWS across Mexico as of May 9, with outbreaks progressing steadily northward. Notably, active cases are now present in Chiapas, Tabasco, and as far north as central Oaxaca, just 127 miles from Mexico’s crucial secondary barrier. The ongoing increase in detections includes new cases in Veracruz, a major cattle movement corridor. Quick action is a necessity.
“Generations of ranching families remember the devastation the last NWS outbreak caused. Thanks to USDA’s vigilance and strong partnership with Mexico, we have the tools, surveillance, and sterile insect technology to respond, but controlling animal movement and closing ports of entry are essential first steps,” Tupper continued.
The NWS eradication effort relies on three science-based pillars: animal movement control, rapid identification and education, and the sterile insect technique. The USDA’s sterile insect facility in Panama is currently operating at maximum capacity, releasing over 100 million sterile insects weekly in Mexico, with increased aerial dispersal flights and covering 3,000 – 6,000 insects per linear nautical mile, far surpassing historic levels. Technical teams are in the field, evaluating surveillance and helping Mexican partners expand monitoring and outreach. It is essential that the population of sterile flies is maintained for prevention efforts.
USCA also appreciates the regular and transparent communication with USDA and international partners, as well as the swift implementation of animal health safeguards, enhanced tick rider monitoring along the border, and ongoing evaluation of port activities to ensure safety is maintained at every level.
While understanding the significant impact this temporary closure may have on cross-border commerce and producers, USCA stands firmly behind USDA and APHIS in prioritizing animal health and the long-term viability of the American beef industry. Disease prevention and eradication measures will be more impactful and financially feasible than any emergency management strategy that would result from an outbreak.
“We must remain vigilant. The lessons of the past, combined with today’s cutting-edge surveillance and eradication tools, give us the best possible chance to halt this outbreak,” Tupper concluded. “USCA will continue to work hand-in-hand with USDA, state veterinarians, and our neighbors in Mexico to eradicate the New World Screwworm once again and safeguard America’s cattle ranching heritage.”
For more information and resources, visit the official USDA newsroom.
R-CALF, USA
On Sunday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins closed the Mexican border to imports of live cattle, horses and bison to protect the U.S. livestock herd from the introduction of New World Screwworm, which has been advancing northward since the pest was first detected in southern Mexico in November.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) initially closed the border to such live animal imports in November following Mexico’s announcement of the detection of New World Screwworm in the southernmost region of Mexico. Imports were resumed by APHIS on February 1, 2025, under a screwworm mitigation protocol, but the pest was recently detected elsewhere in Mexico, reportedly within about 700 miles of the U.S. border.
R-CALF USA, the nation’s largest trade association exclusively representing independent cattle and sheep producers, has long advocated for strict prohibitions against the importation of live cattle from any country where pernicious livestock diseases or pests are known to exist.
The ranch group litigated against the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s effort to prematurely reopen the Canadian border following multiple detections of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada’s native cow herd from 2004 through 2008. At the time, the USDA argued that normalizing trade was among the agency’s top priorities, and it was willing to accept a higher level of risk of disease introduction to accomplish that objective than was R-CALF USA.
Since that time, R-CALF USA has aggressively opposed the USDA’s actions of allowing the importation of fresh beef from countries not free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), such as Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. But the USDA remained steadfast in its efforts to facilitate imports from such affected countries and continues to do so today.
R-CALF USA says the current action by Secretary Rollins marks a welcome change to USDA’s priorities.
“It is clear that Secretary Rollins is willing to act decisively to protect the health of America’s cattle and sheep herds, as exemplified by her action taken yesterday in response to this New World Screwworm threat,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard.
“We commend the secretary for her action, knowing it is necessary to prevent serious financial injury to our domestic livestock industries, and we pledge our support for her ongoing efforts to help Mexico eradicate this dangerous pest,” Bullard added.
