The US has halted livestock imports from Mexico on concerns over the spread of a parasitic fly, just days after the trade resumed.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins “ordered the closure of livestock trade through southern ports of entry effectively immediately” to protect American cattle and the nation’s food supply, according to a statement from the US Department of Agriculture late Wednesday.
The US had planned to begin reopening ports to Mexican cattle, horses and bison as recently as July 7 following a suspension in May because of the spread of the New World Screwworm in the country. The parasitic fly is capable of killing a full-grown steer in just 10 days and eats its host from the inside out.
The halt to trade in May aggravated a US beef shortage, which had seen prices of slaughter-weight livestock reach record heights. Traditionally, Mexico is one of the largest beef exporters to America.
The USDA said department personnel will perform site visits throughout Mexico to ensure “adequate protocols and surveillance in place to combat this pest effectively and efficiently.” Rollins called for progress to combat the fly in Veracruz and other nearby Mexican states.
Last month, the USDA announced plans to open an $8.5 million facility in South Texas to produce as much as 300 million sterile flies per week. The bugs mate with wild flies to lay unfertilized eggs, effectively limiting population growth.
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