Cattle Raisers commend USDA preventative screwworm efforts in Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas (February 2, 2026) - As part of preventative efforts to stop the northward spread of New World screwworm, United States Department of Agriculture has established a new sterile fly dispersal polygon that will extend approximately 50 miles into Texas along the U.S. border with Tamaulipas, Mexico. Operationally, Moore Air Base is scheduled to receive its first shipment of NWS pupae this week to test dispersal systems. Following this test phase, the dispersal facility is expected to be fully operational within the next two to three weeks.

"We welcome progress on the Moore Air Base dispersal facility and the planned additional fly production in Mexico, and we are encouraged by ongoing collaboration with USDA to expand capacity," said Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Carl Ray Polk Jr. "Until those measures are fully established and risk can be minimized, keeping the border closed is the responsible course of action to protect the health of U.S. livestock and wildlife."

At this time, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and USDA will keep the U.S.-Mexico border closed to livestock imports. While existing protocols and surveillance systems are demonstrating effectiveness and collaboration with Mexican counterparts, the threat posed by NWS remains significant. A single incursion into Texas or the U.S. could have devastating economic consequences for livestock producers, wildlife populations and landowners.

"We trust Secretary Rollins and USDA to make reopening decisions based on science and preparedness, not pressure, and stand ready to support efforts to safeguard animal health," Polk said. "These measures are necessary until progress is made on pushing the fly further south."

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