(NAFB.com) – Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins provided an update on the USDA’s ongoing partnership with Mexico to combat the New World Screwworm. Rollins held a call with her Mexican counterpart and discussed the ongoing threat of NWS and actions being taken by both countries to contain the threat south of the U.S. border. Rollins said the USDA is investing $21 million to renovate an existing fruit fly production facility in Mexico. This facility will produce 60-100 million additional sterile screwworm flies weekly to push the population further south in Mexico. “The investment I’m announcing is one of the many efforts my team is making around the clock to protect our animals, our farm economy, and the security of our nation’s food supply,” Rollins said. “We’re continuing to work closely with Mexico to push screwworm away from the U.S. and out of Mexico.” Current U.S. restrictions on live animal imports from Mexico remain in place.
