The department seeks to reduce the threat of the New World Screwworm for livestock.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the investment of $25 million for the opening of a brand new sterile fly dispersal facility in the state of Arizona. The facility is part of the effort to prevent the spread of the New World Screwworm (NWS), as the department seeks to strengthen the United States’ long-term response to the pest.
Secretary Rollins said the facility’s opening “marks another major investment in our long-term strategy to push this pest back into Mexico and ultimately eradicate it from North America. Together with our partners in Arizona, we’re strengthening the infrastructure needed to protect American ranchers for generations to come.”
The announcement was made near the recently reopened Douglas, Arizona, Port of Entry, alongside U.S. Representatives Juan Ciscomani, Andy Biggs, and Eli Crane. The USDA stated, “APHIS [Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service] and Arizona state personnel have maintained trapping operations near Douglas over the last year, submitting nearly 1,000 flies, none of which were identified as NWS by scientific experts.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Rollins and USDA officials as they work to reduce the threat of the New World Screwworm.
- For federal personnel as they collaborate with state and local leaders to ensure the health of cattle and livestock coming through the U.S.-Mexico border.
Sources: Department of Agriculture
