The presence of a calf with screwworm, as the fly Cochliomya hominivorax is known, has stopped the export of 400 million dollars of Mexican cattle to the United States, according to the president of the Regional Livestock Union of Chihuahua (UGRCH), Iván Bustillos Sources.
“250 thousand head of cattle are detained in five states authorized to export, which represents more than 400 million dollars in stopped trade,” he told Forbes Mexico.
He said that a new protocol has already been promoted, to which modifications were made to move forward and reestablish the trade and sale of livestock to the United States..
He added that the modifications are inspections, applications of ivermectin and a change in infrastructure at the crossing quarantine stations.
He explained that for now the quarantines in Chihuahua and Sonora are authorized, which will be established for the resumption of livestock again.
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On November 24, the Department of Agriculture temporarily paused the purchase of Mexican cattle, after in the municipality of Catazajá, Chiapas, an animal with screwworm was found in a shipment originating in Central America.
“The United States and Mexico are working on the application of measures to resume the normal flow of Mexican exports. These do not apply to other exports of our agriculture and are limited to live cattle,” responded the Ministry of Agriculture, the entity in charge of inspecting the Mexican market so that it is free of viruses in animal protein.
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He said that control and prevention actions are in full operation with proven effectiveness, which allows protecting Mexican livestock from the risk of screwworm.
Screwworm is an infestation caused by the larvae of the fly Cochliomyia hominivorax, which feed on the living tissue of mammals, and rarely birds, causing serious damage to the animals.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health, the last time the presence of screwworm was recorded in live cattle was on March 28, 2003. And on Friday, November 22, 2024, this infection was seen again in live cattle that They import from Central America to stop the increase in prices in the meat market in Mexico.
“The National Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality Service has already sent to supervise the modifications and we are waiting for the United States authority to verify the inspections and restore trade,” commented the producer.
“In about 10 more days, trade in Mexican cattle to the United States can be restored,” he considered.
Bustillos Fuentes said that the brake on exports brings turning points, just as “it has been difficult for us to keep these cattle in optimal conditions until their crossings can be reestablished.”
“The cost of feeding the cattle, which have not been able to be exported to the United States (ranges) between 100 million dollars and 150 million dollars, since pasture, food and medicines were purchased,” he explained.
It details that producers have requested financing and credits to feed the livestock they have in pens, and that are waiting to be exported to the United States.
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“We have to get credits and we are experiencing one of the worst droughts in the last 35 years. So, we are experiencing a very serious situation for the primary sector of Chihuahua and other regions of the country,” he indicated.
He said that support has been requested from Claudia Sheinbaum’s government to overcome the climate crisis and the slowdown in livestock exports, but “there is no way to promote that until it passes and the commercialization of livestock with the United States is reestablished,” he said.
