Latest news with #JulioBerdegue
USA Today
01-07-2025
- General
- USA Today
USDA announces phased reopening of Mexican cattle imports after screwworm closure
CHICAGO, June 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Monday a phased reopening of cattle, bison and equine imports from Mexico following a prolonged closure over the damaging pest New World screwworm. Ports will reopen in phases as early as July 7, beginning with Douglas, Arizona, which the USDA said is the lowest risk entry point due to its location and the "long history of effective collaboration" between officials in Sonora and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The southern U.S. border was closed to imports of the animals on May 11 after screwworm, a species of fly that has been eradicated in the U.S. for decades, had been moving northward in Mexico. Additional ports in New Mexico and Texas may be reopened in coming weeks. The pest can infest livestock and wildlife and carry maggots that burrow into the skin of living animals, causing serious and often fatal damage. More: What is the New World Screwworm? Flesh-eating parasite is impacting cattle imports As part of the country's effort to fight screwworm encroachment, the USDA announced plans on June 18 to open a sterile fly dispersal facility in Texas, and invested $21 million in updating a plant in Mexico to produce sterile flies. "We have made good progress with our counterparts in Mexico to increase vital pest surveillance efforts and have boosted sterile fly dispersal efforts," USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement. "We are continuing our posture of increased vigilance and will not rest until we are sure this devastating pest will not harm American ranchers," she said. The port in Columbus, New Mexico, may reopen on July 14, followed by Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on July 21, Del Rio, Texas, on August 18 and Laredo, Texas, on September 15, the USDA said. The agency added that it will evaluate conditions after each reopening to ensure that the enhanced control measures are working. Mexico's government later issued a statement saying its agriculture minister, Julio Berdegue, requested some of the deadlines for reopening be accelerated and said Rollins had agreed to review them. More: How dangerous is the New World Screwworm? In rare cases, its maggots will eat your flesh Mexico said it will ban the movement of livestock without proof of inspection and treatment for screwworm from affected areas to central and northern Mexico starting July 7. There would also be a bilateral technical meeting on Tuesday to follow up on the agreements, Mexico's government said in its statement. (Reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago, additional reporting by Cassandra Garrison in Mexico City, editing by Franklin Paul and Lincoln Feast.)
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mexico to tighten cattle flows from south, rules out shutting border over screwworm
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico will tighten the flow of cattle from the south of the country to limit the potential spread of the screwworm, the nation's agriculture minister said on Tuesday. The screwworm, which can kill cattle or other hosts within weeks, has recently been detected in the south of Mexico and has caused the U.S. to suspend cattle imports from its neighbor. Mexican Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue, speaking at a regular press conference alongside President Claudia Sheinbaum, ruled out closing Mexico's southern border to cattle from Central America, but acknowledged it will take a long time to eradicate the pest. "Closing the border is a complex issue that needs to be carefully analyzed because it also impacts the national meat supply," Berdegue told reporters. "We will restrict cattle movements from the country's south," he added. The U.S. and Mexico had reached an agreement last month on the handling of the damaging pest, which can infest livestock and wildlife and carry maggots that burrow into the skin of living animals, causing serious and often fatal damage.
Reuters
13-05-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Mexico to tighten cattle flows from south, rules out shutting border over screwworm
MEXICO CITY, May 13 (Reuters) - Mexico will tighten the flow of cattle from the south of the country to limit the potential spread of the screwworm, the nation's agriculture minister said on Tuesday. The screwworm, which can kill cattle or other hosts within weeks, has recently been detected in the south of Mexico and has caused the U.S. to suspend cattle imports from its neighbor. Mexican Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue, speaking at a regular press conference alongside President Claudia Sheinbaum, ruled out closing Mexico's southern border to cattle from Central America, but acknowledged it will take a long time to eradicate the pest. "Closing the border is a complex issue that needs to be carefully analyzed because it also impacts the national meat supply," Berdegue told reporters. "We will restrict cattle movements from the country's south," he added. The U.S. and Mexico had reached an agreement last month on the handling of the damaging pest, which can infest livestock and wildlife and carry maggots that burrow into the skin of living animals, causing serious and often fatal damage.
Reuters
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Mexico disagrees with US suspension of Mexican cattle imports over screwworm
MEXICO CITY, May 12 (Reuters) - Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday that her nation did not agree with the U.S.' decision to suspend Mexican imports of cattle, horses and bison over the presence of the New World screwworm, adding that Mexico had shown collaboration in eradicating the pest. On Sunday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she was suspending such imports through the southern U.S. border, with her agency adding the suspension would be in place on a "month-by-month" basis. Mexican Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue said the measure would only be in place for 15 days, which Sheinbaum repeated in her regular press conference on Monday. "Minister Berdegue has already spoken with (Rollins) and proposed that it would only last 15 days to keep working, and we hope that this measure, which we consider unfair, will be lifted very soon," Sheinbaum said. The U.S. and Mexico had reached an agreement last month on the handling of the damaging pest, which can infest livestock and wildlife and carry maggots that burrow into the skin of living animals, causing serious and often fatal damage. The U.S. said the efforts were not enough, which Sheinbaum rebuffed. "We can't be rushing to react to whatever's said that day, especially from the U.S. agriculture secretary," Sheinbaum said. "Mexico is no one's pinata." The president added that she hoped the suspension would not represent a significant economic hit to Mexico, given the assumption that it should last 15 days.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US suspends Mexican cattle, horse and bison imports over screwworm pest
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Sunday said she is suspending imports of live cattle, horses and bison through the southern U.S. border over the damaging pest New World screwworm, a measure that immediately drew opposition from Mexico. "I am announcing the suspension of live cattle, horse, & bison imports through U.S. southern border ports of entry effective immediately," Rollins said. "The last time this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle industry to recover. This cannot happen again." Her Mexican counterpart, Julio Berdegue, swiftly rebuked the action, but said he hoped the two countries could soon come to an agreement over the pest, known as NWS. "We don't agree with this measure," he said in a post on social media, adding that it would be in place for 15 days. The U.S. agriculture agency in a statement on Sunday said the suspension would be in effect on a "month-by-month basis." The U.S. and Mexico last month reached an agreement on the handling of the damaging pest, which can infest livestock and wildlife and carry maggots that burrow into the skin of living animals, causing serious and often fatal damage. The U.S. agriculture agency in a statement said the efforts so far were not sufficient, and acknowledged "an economic impact" on both countries due to the suspension. "There has been unacceptable northward advancement of NWS and additional action must be taken to slow the northern progression of this deadly parasitic fly," USDA said. It said the pest had been detected in Oaxaca and Veracruz, about 700 miles (1,127 km) from the U.S. border.
