New World Screwworm Passive Surveillance Not Good Enough

The government shutdown doesn't affect essential or emergency work, meaning efforts to combat the New World screw worm are still underway. Erin Spaur, executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen's Association, says the concern is that construction of the sterile fly facility could face delays and ensuring Mexico maintains its monitoring efforts remains critical. As the pest moves closer to the US border,

“A lot of what Mexico is doing right now is passive surveillance, and what they need to be doing is active surveillance. And so we continue to push from CCA, NCDA, and then from the USDA and higher level from there. And so, you know, this is an immediate threat to those border states like Texas and others. But just like the cattle industry, and we all know the cattle industry, this can have wide effects, as we see feeder cattle come all the way up to Colorado and and hopefully, cross our fingers, as the winter months come and colder weather comes, that we'll see that slow down of it spreading further north. But I think the beef industry is, for sure taking this serious once again.”

That was Erin Spaur. She is the executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen's Association with today's line on athe griculture report. I'm Lorrie Boyer for the Ag Information Network.