Exclusive: Cattle Industry Chief Warns Flesh-eating Fly Menaces Us Herds As Mexico Yields On Pest Fight

The nation’s apical cattle manufacture leader sounded nan siren Tuesday that a flesh-eating alert infestation advancing done Mexico remains a dire threat to U.S. ranchers, moreover arsenic nan Trump management claimed a cardinal triumph successful efforts to extremity it. 

Buck Wehrbein, president of nan National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and a cattle feeder from eastern Nebraska, praised Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins for taking fierce action against nan outbreak of nan New World screwworm, a parasitic alert whose larvae tin burrow into nan soma of livestock and often origin fatal wounds. 

But Wehrbein warned that pinch conscionable 1 time near earlier a U.S. ultimatum expires, "the situation is acold from over" and American cattle herds stay successful jeopardy.

An aerial position of cattle successful nan pens of nan Chihuahua Regional Livestock Union astatine nan Jeronimo-Santa Teresa separator crossing successful Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Nov. 27, 2024. (Christian Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"These parasites virtually eat livestock alive. We eradicated them from nan U.S. successful nan 1960s, and we’re not astir to fto them return clasp present again." 

Wehrbein noted that nan U.S. authorities spent millions of dollars to swipe retired New World screwworm decades agone – only for nan (seed) disease to reemerge successful Central America and statesman creeping northward toward Texas.

The screwworm was first detected successful confederate Mexico precocious past year, prompting U.S. authorities to scramble resources to incorporate it. The USDA temporarily halted imports of Mexican cattle from precocious November until February aft a screwworm lawsuit surfaced successful Chiapas, underscoring really earnestly officials position nan threat to America’s nutrient supply.

MAINE'S FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE FROM TRUMP'S USDA REVERSED

Now, U.S. agriculture officials are racing to build a last obstruction against nan flesh-eating alert earlier it reaches nan border. For decades, nan United States and Mexico person relied connected a blase sterile insect method (SIT) program, utilizing craft to merchandise millions of sterile antheral flies to support screwworm populations successful check. But that strategy was precocious thrown into chaos amid bureaucratic interference by Mexican authorities, who U.S. officials opportunity blocked and delayed captious fly-release missions conscionable arsenic nan outbreak intensified.

According to nan USDA and cattle manufacture representatives, Mexico "failed to uphold their end" of nan bi-national eradication effort by refusing landing permissions, charging import duties connected U.S.-funded instrumentality and limiting alert drops to six days a week, conditions that officials opportunity allowed nan (seed) disease to dispersed further.
 

Texas is location to galore provender cattle farms. (iStock)

Wehrbein did not hide his frustration. 

"We were pulling our hairsbreadth out," he said. "The subject is location to extremity this bug, but not if nan planes are grounded complete paperwork. Every time of hold gave nan screwworm a bigger foothold."

In an April 26 missive obtained by Fox News Digital, Secretary Rollins gave Mexico an April 30 deadline to resoluteness nan issues aliases look a halt successful nan import of unrecorded cattle, bison and equine, a move that would onslaught a rustle to Mexico’s ranching system and tighten U.S. proviso chains already nether pressure.

"It surely sewage their attention," Wehrbein noted. "No 1 wants to unopen down trade. That’s a past edifice that would wounded producers connected some sides. But Secretary Rollins and President Trump made it crystal clear that protecting America’s herds comes first."

Wehrbein said nan NCBA met pinch elder Mexican embassy officials successful Washington past week to stress nan urgency. 

"Ranchers successful Mexico and nan U.S. are connected nan aforesaid broadside here. We request this (seed) disease stopped," Wehrbein said. "It shouldn’t return high-level threats to get commonsense cooperation."

A cattle has its hairsbreadth trimmed by an exhibitor astatine nan authorities adjacent successful West Allis, Wis., Aug. 9, 2024.  (Jim Vondruska)

On Tuesday, Rollins posted connected X that Mexico has agreed to let U.S. sterile alert planes to land, calling it "a HUGE triumph for our American ranchers!" 

Fox News Digital has reached retired to Secretary Rollins’ agency for further specifications and confirmation but has not yet received a response.

Wehrbein welcomed nan announcement, saying it marked a turning point, but not nan extremity of nan threat. 

"Getting those alert planes backmost successful nan aerial is perfectly critical. It’s a alleviation to spot Mexico yet do nan correct thing," he said. "Frankly, it should ne'er person taken this long. But astatine slightest now we person a fighting chance to incorporate nan outbreak earlier it reaches our border."

While nan formation permissions look to person been restored, it remains unclear whether Mexico will waive nan import duties aliases let seven-day operations, some of which nan USDA had demanded. Rollins has besides called for a elder liaison from nan Mexican government to guarantee faster coordination moving forward.

Longer term, Wehrbein said nan U.S. needs to reconsider really overmuch it relies connected extracurricular partners for biosecurity. 

"This business shows why we request our ain home proviso of sterile flies," he said. "If we had a installation present astatine location cranking them out, we wouldn’t beryllium astatine nan mercy of different country’s cooperation."

"We emotion this industry. We’re proud to provender nan state and nan world," Wehrbein said. "But it takes vigilance, practice and activity to protect it. The screwworm is simply a reminder that we’re ever 1 outbreak distant from disaster, and we’ve sewage to enactment up of it."

Fox News Digital’s Bill Melugin contributed to this report.