The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to build a $750 million factory in southern Texas to breed billions of sterile male New World screwworm flies, aiming to prevent the flesh-eating maggots from spreading from Mexico into the U.S. and threatening the cattle industry. The sterile flies, released in large numbers, mate with wild females to produce sterile eggs, gradually reducing the pest population. This initiative, alongside $100 million in additional technology and increased border patrols, is part of a broader strategy to contain the pest, which has caused significant economic damage and could further inflate beef prices if it reaches Texas.

The U.S. border remains closed to cattle, horse, and bison imports from Mexico until the screwworm is pushed back toward Panama, where sterile fly breeding has contained it. The new Texas factory, the first on U.S. soil in decades, will produce up to 300 million sterile flies weekly, reducing reliance on facilities in Mexico and Panama. The U.S. and Mexico have also signed a joint control plan involving monitoring and certified livestock movement to manage the infestation and eventually reopen livestock exports. This effort underscores the critical importance of protecting the livestock industry as a matter of national security.