WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on Sunday the suspension of live cattle, horses, and bison imports through the southern U.S. border due to the destructive New World screwworm pest. This decision was met with opposition from Mexico, with Rollins emphasizing the need to prevent the devastating impact this pest had on the cattle industry in the past.
Mexican Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegue expressed disagreement with the suspension but hoped for a resolution to address the issue of the NWS pest. The suspension is set to be in place for 15 days initially, with the possibility of extension on a month-by-month basis.
The U.S. and Mexico had recently agreed on measures to combat the NWS pest, which poses a serious threat to livestock and wildlife. However, the U.S. agriculture agency deemed the current efforts insufficient and necessary to prevent further northward spread of the fly.
The detection of the NWS pest in Oaxaca and Veracruz, about 700 miles from the U.S. border, prompted the decision to suspend imports. Both countries acknowledge the economic impact of this move and are working towards finding a solution to address the issue.
(Reporting by Joey Roulette in Washington and Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
