Edinburg, Texas, is set to become the battlefield where the war against the New World screwworm (NWS) will take place with a new, high-stakes $750 million investment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In a move to staunch the pest's northward crawl that's been putting the nation's livestock at risk, Governor Greg Abbott and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the funding for a Domestic Sterile Screwworm Production Facility. According to the Governor’s office, this initiative promises to safeguard over two million jobs and uphold a sector with an economic impact of $867 billion.
"Texas agricultural producers feed the world, with our state's food and agriculture sector supporting over 2 million good-paying jobs and creating over $867 billion in total economic impact," Governor Abbott said, laying out the stakes, "All of this is at risk because of the New World screwworm. Working with Secretary Rollins and agricultural community leaders nationwide, we will combat the New World screwworm threat right here in Texas by building a new $750 million facility to breed hundreds of millions of sterile screwworm flies. Together, we will eradicate New World screwworm threat to protect our nation's food supply and economy.” The facility will focus on breeding sterile flies, a cornerstone strategy in combating the spread of NWS, which until now largely depended upon supply from Panama.
Adding to the Governor's emphasis on the dire need for this facility, Secretary Rollins stated, “We have assessed the information on the ground in Mexico and have determined we must construct an additional sterile fly production facility in the U.S. to stop the northward advancement of this terrible pest that is threatening American cattle production." The Trump administration has backed this effort as part of the country's defense against agricultural threats.
This announcement was not made in isolation; among those present at the press conference, according to the Governor’s office, were Congressman Tony Gonzales, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller, and other key figures from local to national spheres who have a vested interest in the health and security of America's agriculture. The Edinburg facility is anticipated to produce 300 million sterile screwworm flies per week, a strategic move that not only triples the current production capacity but also marks a critical shift to in-house crisis management, something that the "USDA and Customs and Border Protection are constantly monitoring our ports of entry to keep NWS away from our borders. We are working every day to ensure our American agricultural industry is safe, secure, and resilient.”
Earlier this summer, following the persistent spread of NWS, Governor Abbott had directed the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Animal Health Commission to form a joint Texas New World Screwworm Response Team. The establishment of this new facility is a significant escalation in the state's response to an invasive menace that has already made its presence felt across the agricultural landscapes of Texas and beyond.
