New World Screwworm Grand Challenge

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

USDA announced the availability of funding to combat New World screwworm (NWS) and prevent its northward spread. Through this opportunity, APHIS is investing up to $100 million to support projects that meet curtain criteria. Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins discussed some of the potential innovations to combat New World Screwworm that could come out of what they’re calling the Grand Challenge.

Hoskins… “ The secretary's charge is to help our partners clarify and enhance sterilely production practices. If there's ideas or concepts or technologies are gonna help us do that. Ideas or innovations to develop new traps or lures, that's a critical part of the work we're doing currently. And then always just, are there opportunities for increasing therapeutics or treatments, anything to help. Prevent or control the impact of screw worms on individual animals, and then across the board any other ideas or renovations that are gonna help bolster our preparedness and response. Those are the ideas we're looking for. We're asking our partners and potential participants to give us those ideas on or before February 23rd of this year.”

For questions, email, nws.grand.challenge@usda.gov.