Cattle Imports from Mexico Restricted after New World Screwworm Detection

Nov 28, 2024

By Josh Maples and David Anderson et.al

Big news broke over the weekend as Mexico notified the USDA of a positive detection of New World screwworm in a cow in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas. The USDA-APHIS announcement (available here) noted the case was identified at an inspection checkpoint near the border with Guatemala. As a result, USDA-APHIS announced “APHIS is temporarily suspending the importation of ruminants, including live cattle and bison, from Mexico.”

The screwworm is an issue with which the cattle industry has grappled before. The map above shows when the screwworm was eradicated from various regions in the 1950s-1980s. Eradication efforts were driven by the release of tens of millions of sterile screwworm male flies to reduce reproduction. For anyone interested in more historical context, here is a link to an article posted by the Foreign Agriculture Organization.

There are many potential impacts of this announcement and also many unknowns. A few unknowns that will be key in potential impacts are: whether additional cases are identified (and where); how long the import ban lasts; and will the ban continue to affect all imported cattle from Mexico or just those from specific regions.

The market impacts of this announcement are likely to be obvious in the near-term. The U.S. imports a significant number of feeder cattle from Mexico, and that is now temporarily suspended. Roughly 5 percent of feedlot placements this year have been imported feeder cattle from Mexico. The fall months are a seasonally high import period, as shown in the chart below. If the ban on imports of feeder cattle lasts awhile, it would mean a lower supply of feeder cattle going into feedlots. Tight feeder cattle supplies would get tighter which would mean more support for prices.

There will be more information about this topic released over the coming days and weeks. Right now there are probably more questions than answers. Feeder cattle futures markets were up as much as $4 per CWT at some points in trading today and closed the day up about $1 per CWT.

Source : osu.edu

Video: Five Confirmed New World Screwworm Cases Raise Alarm for Livestock and Pet Owners

Pat Hoffmann, Swine Technical Consultant at Elanco Animal Health tells us about the impact of New World Screwworm. The emergence of New World screwworm in the U.S. creates a threat for veterinarians, livestock producers and pet owners that has not been seen north of the Florida Keys since the fly was eradicated from the United States more than 50 years ago. New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) larvae feed on living tissue and can affect a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including livestock, companion animals, wildlife, and even humans.
“New World screwworm could have a devastating impact on animal health, welfare, and producer livelihoods,” said Jeff Simmons, President and CEO, Elanco Animal Health. “We want to thank the FDA, EPA and USDA, for all their work to prepare for this threat. We’re committed to supporting our customers during this challenging time by delivering innovation, scientific expertise, and available resources to help treat New World screwworm and support the health and well-being of animals.”
Elanco is working alongside the U.S. animal health industry to help them fight against this parasite, offering a portfolio of options for pets and livestock that can help treat New World screwworm larvae infestations.