Texas to Combat New World Screwworm with $750 Million Facility

Texas Government Initiates $750 Million Fight Against New World Screwworm

The U.S. government has announced plans to build a $750 million facility in southern Texas aimed at combating the New World screwworm, a pest posing a serious threat to the cattle industry. This initiative, disclosed by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on August 15, 2025, intends to breed sterile screwworm flies at a site located on Moore Air Base near Edinburg, approximately 20 miles from the Mexican border.

The facility’s primary objective is to prevent the flesh-eating maggots from infesting U.S. livestock and wildlife by ensuring that the pest does not migrate across the border from Mexico. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) aims to commence the production and release of sterile male flies within a year of the factory’s opening, significantly enhancing pest control measures.

Supporting Measures and Economic Impact

In addition to the factory’s establishment, the USDA will deploy an extra $100 million to develop technology such as fly traps and lures, complementing the sterile fly breeding initiative. The U.S. also plans to increase border patrols, utilizing “tick riders” on horseback and trained dogs specifically to detect the screw worm.

The U.S. has implemented a strict border closure on the importation of cattle, horses, and bison from Mexico until the threat posed by the screwworm is adequately managed, a decision reflecting the severity of the situation. This border restriction has already been in place on three occasions over the past eight months, with the most recent closure being in July after an infestation was reported 370 miles from Texas.

Economically, officials project that if the New World screwworm spreads, losses in the cattle industry could soar into the billions of dollars. The pest can not only affect livestock but may also infest wildlife and, in rare cases, humans. Previous outbreaks have led to catastrophic impacts, such as the significant reduction of Texas’s white-tailed deer population in the 1960s, when 80% of them perished due to the pest.

Collaborative International Efforts

The initiative has sparked collaboration between the U.S. and Mexican governments, as Mexican Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegué Sacristán and Rollins have signed a joint screwworm control action plan to monitor and manage the pest within Mexico. This is particularly crucial as the Mexican cattle industry faces challenges due to infestations and the resulting U.S. border restrictions.

The breeding process involves releasing sterile male screwworm flies into the environment, where they mate with wild females, resulting in sterile eggs and a gradual decline in the overall fly population. An existing facility in Panama is capable of producing 117 million flies per week, whereas the new Texas site is expected to generate 300 million flies weekly.

Historical Context and Future Outlook

The New World screwworm has its origins in locations such as Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and certain South American countries, and has intermittently reemerged in North America. The threat it presents is compounded by its previous eradication from the U.S. in the 1970s using similar sterile fly release techniques, underscoring the urgency of current control efforts.

Governor Greg Abbott has articulated concerns over the potential impact of the screwworm on Texas’s livestock and food supply, deeming it a critical issue for the state’s economy. As authorities work to mitigate the threat, community awareness and preparedness are essential in defending against the economic ramifications of this agricultural pest.