The United States has announced plans for a £590 million project in southern Texas to combat the threat of flesh-eating maggots, with construction under way on a new facility designed to breed billions of sterile flies. The aim is to prevent the New World screwworm from crossing the Mexican border and devastating the American cattle industry, a risk that officials say could cause billions in losses and further drive up already record beef prices.
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Brooke Rollins, Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, confirmed that the facility will be built at Moore Air Base, near Edinburg, Texas, around 20 miles from the Mexican border. Once operational, the site will release sterile male screwworm flies to suppress wild populations. Alongside the new factory, the government has pledged a further £79 million for advanced technology such as fly traps and lures, as well as enhanced border security with mounted patrols and specially trained dogs.
The screwworm was eradicated in the United States in the 1970s through similar measures, but recent outbreaks in Mexico have reignited concerns. The US has already closed its border to cattle, horses and bison from Mexico three times in the past eight months following infestations. The parasite poses not only a danger to livestock but also to wildlife, pets and occasionally humans. Officials warn that an outbreak in Texas could have far-reaching economic and environmental consequences.
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Mexico’s cattle industry has been heavily affected, with officials forced to impose movement controls and strict certification requirements. Mexico’s agriculture secretary, Julio Berdegué Sacristán, has agreed a joint action plan with Washington, combining monitoring systems with restrictions on livestock movements. The new Texas plant, expected to produce up to 300 million sterile flies each week, marks a significant expansion of the eradication programme and is intended to reduce reliance on overseas facilities in Panama and Mexico. US officials insist the strategy is a proactive measure designed to safeguard both agriculture and national security.
