Cattle Group Fears Screwworm Could Jeopardize Herd Rebuilding

Lorrie Boyer
Reporter
“As a result of unlawful cattle trafficking in South America, moving these illegal cattle northward. This new world screw worm has been detected in Mexico, and as a result, the USDA closed the border to all live cattle imports from Mexico because of the concern that this new world screw worm could be reintroduced into the United States. Now, Rumors abound right now that the border is going to be reopened to Mexican cattle by january
20, as the industry works to rebuild herds after widespread drought.”
Bullard says ensuring herd health is crucial for long term stability.
“We're watching this very closely. The USDA is going to be required to report in the Federal Register a decision if it does, in fact, intend to reopen the border while this crew were probably remains a significant threat to our industry. Are we going to strengthen our import controls to ensure that we do not introduce pernicious diseases that could adversely affect our entire domestic cattle industry? And this is one that just is glaring us in the face right now.”
Bill Bullard with R-CALF USA.