The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Late last week that the U.S. plans to resume importing cattle from Mexico on a limited basis.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins stated that the USDA is coordinating the reopening of the port in Douglas, Arizona, which will begin in phases starting Aug. 24. The reopening is contingent on Mexico adhering to a joint action plan between the countries to resume cattle trade while remaining cautious of the New World screwworm (NWS) threat.
“The closure of the Southern ports of entry for the last year has been a tough but necessary action to control the spread of the NWS in Mexico,” said Rollings. “Thanks to the work of the federal government as well as state, local and industry partners, it is now safe to reopen the Douglas, Arizona, port in 30 days to resume the hundredsof- years-old movement of cattle.”
The USDA plans to work with the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua, which are at the lowest risk of screwworm because of their strong animal health infrastructure program.
In a statement, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller thanked Rollins, claiming that the “prolonged closure had already taken a toll on producers, disrupted supply chains and created uncertainty that could have lasting consequences for the cattle industry.”
Though Miller remains wary of NWS, he has long been calling for resumed trade between the U.S. and Mexico,because it is the right move for ranchers and consumers.”
He said the USDA’s response to NWS, stating that the USDA had “spent more than a year reacting instead of getting ahead of the problem.”
“We cannot afford to rely on half-measures when billions of dollars in livestock production are on the line.”