By Larry Stalcup Contributing Editor

Due to the continued northward spread of New World screwworm (NWS) in Mexico, U.S. Ag Sec. Brooke Rollins announced May 11 the suspension of live cattle, horse and bison imports through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border (the suspension remained in place at press time). With Texas’ 1,250-mile border with Mexico, the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) is monitoring the NWS decision closely.

The screwworms are reported within 700 miles of the Texas-Mexican border, and TSCRA is working closely with USDA to keep the deadly flies from squirming into Texas livestock herds.

Rollins was keynote speaker at the TSCRA Annual Convention in mid-April. With backing from TSCRA, Rollins announced April 30 that Mexico agreed to no longer prevent USDA aircraft from moving sterile flies into Mexico to help eradicate the screwworm threats.

Rollins said the U.S. and Mexico continue their efforts to halt and eradicate NWS in Mexico. However, despite these efforts, there has been unacceptable northward advancement of NWS. USDA said additional action must be taken to slow the northern progression of this deadly parasitic fly.

Carl Ray Polk, TSCRA president from a ranching family in East Texas near Lufkin, hailed USDA’s support for controlling NWS movement into Texas and potentially other states. “At the TSCRA Convention, Sec. Rollins pledged USDA’s support in preventing NWS from spreading from Mexico into the U.S.,” Polk told CALF News.

“TSCRA takes the threat of New World screwworm seriously,” he added after the May 11 announcement. “We commend Sec. Rollins and USDA for making a difficult but necessary decision to close the southern border. While this action presents short-term challenges for cattle raisers, it is a critical step to secure the long-term health of the U.S. cattle herd.

“Cooperation from the Mexican government is essential, and this move sends a clear signal about the urgency of the situation. Our association has consistently supported a border closure if warranted. While we continue to work toward a domestic sterile fly production facility, we are left to rely more heavily on ground-based containment efforts.”

USDA said the import suspension will persist on a month-by-month basis until a significant window of containment is achieved. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said NWS is a devastating pest. NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds and, in rare cases, people. When NWS fly larvae burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage.

APHIS said there have been numerous efforts to control and eradicate them. A successful eradication program in the Southeast led to an eradication program for the Southwest in 1962. Funded by the federal government, regional states Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, and the rancher-led nonprofit Southwest Animal Health Research Foundation, the $32 million program was declared a success in 1966.

In the mid-1970s, USDA indicated that ranches spent about $132 million to eradicate NWS. An economic analysis of the 1976 NWS outbreak in Texas showed that nearly 1.5 million cattle and 332,000 sheep and goats were infested with NWS that year.

In 2025 numbers, that equates to more than $730 million, far too expensive for a producer-funded program. But since the NWS female flies mate only once, mating with the sterile male flies should prevent the development of more larvae. That’s why the program to infiltrate NWS-infested regions in Mexico is so important, Polk said.

In early April, TSCRA leaders and others visited Panama, home of the world’s only large-scale NWS sterile fly production facility. “This facility provides the sole defense against the spread of NWS across North and South America,” Polk said. “However, flies from this facility have inconsistently been denied access in certain parts of Mexico for dispersal flights.”

He adds that TSCRA is championing the creation of a U.S.-based sterile fly production facility in Texas. “We continually advocate for proactive efforts to manage NWS before it reaches the U.S. border,” he said. “We welcome the support and consequences put in place by Sec. Rollins to spur needed action to protect America’s cattle industry, food supply and wildlife populations.”

Along with welcoming the NWS control program, TSCRA is celebrating Sec. Rollins for her efforts that helped the Mexican government agree to transfer water from international reservoirs and increase the U.S. share of the flow in six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries.

“Mexico finally meeting the water needs of Texas farmers and ranchers under the 1944 Water Treaty is a major win for American agriculture,” Rollins said. “None of this would have been possible without President Trump’s fervent support of our farmers and his work to hold our trading partners accountable.”

TSCRA Cited the Value of Special Rangers to its Members

While animal health issues like NWS can rob producers of better cattle gains and quality, modern-day cattle rustlers have their eye on high-priced, $3,000 calves. TSCRA Special Rangers are a major force in recovering stolen cattle, tack or other ranch property and have been since 1877.

The TSCRA Expo featured the annual Special Rangers silent auction. This year’s auction raised more than $100,000 to be used for ranger training and equipment.

In 2024, some $7 million in stolen property was recovered through investigations led by Special Rangers. TSCRA’s program to register member brands helps immensely in identifying stolen or lost cattle.

“There are always going to be bad guys in this industry. There’s always the need for Special Rangers,” Polk said. “We have 30 of them across the state and into Oklahoma to provide that service and work with other local and state law enforcement agencies. It’s a unique setup that’s sometimes overlooked. We often take for granted that we have those folks just a phone call away.”

Producer Education

The convention’s School of Successful Ranching enabled attendees to learn more about combating animal health issues and improving production techniques, cattle marketing and pastures and ranch property. (Look for more on these subjects in upcoming CALF News issues.)

Polk said it’s encouraging to see more young men and women joining TSCRA. “They want to learn more about how to become better producers,” he said, noting that there were 2,500 new members in 2024.

The association’s new Gilly Riojas Memorial Internship program was started in honor of the late Riojas, the inaugural chairman of the TSCRA Leadership Development Committee. The committee spearheaded efforts to establish youth and young producer opportunities within the beef industry.

“Gilly was a dear friend and an advocate for the industry, especially for youth. TSCRA’s internship program has snowballed,” Polk said, adding that funds raised in the new program go specifically to the new internship.

TSCRA considered many other issues during its convention. They included:

• Members pledged continued support of State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, chairman of the Texas Legislature’s Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the committee’s efforts to secure ample water supply sufficient to meet Texas’ future needs, not just for droughts, but with other threats to the state’s growth.
• TSCRA’s continued opposition to a proposed Texas high-speed rail system, based on the threat to eminent domain.
• TSCRA launched its Leadership Development Foundation Working Grant Program, which supports the next generation of beef industry entrepreneurs.
• TSCRA members were commended for their efforts to raise more than $2.9 million for wildfire relief efforts through the TSCRA Disaster Relief Fund. Money was distributed to ranchers and 50 volunteer fire departments impacted by 2024 wildfires.
• The McFaddin Ranch, located between the Guadalupe and San Antonio Rivers in South Texas, was recognized for receiving the Texas Environmental Stewardship Award for exceptional stewardship and innovation program at its beef cattle operation.

TSCRA also discussed its drafted legislation before the Texas Legislature that bans the production and retail sales of cell-cultured protein in Texas. “We’re not against capitalism and entrepreneurship,” Polk explained, “but we’re concerned with the health risk involved and the production of this product.”

No cattle meeting can take place without taking tariffs to task. When President Trump introduced tariffs in early April, cattle prices dropped a little. But by mid-month, they were on their way up. By the first week in May, 500-lb. calf prices had surged past $400 per cwt. Eight weights were pushing nearly $300. Fed cattle were hitting $220. All were record highs.

“The President’s position on tariffs nearly changes daily,” Polk said. “The market had a bump but bounced back. We look closely at our exporters and their ability to sell into world markets. We pay close attention to it and watch how potential tariffs will impact our prices.”

Polk emphasized that a that main reason prices remain high is consumer demand for high-quality beef that’s being produced by ranchers. “Our industry has moved in the right direction over the past 10 years,” he said. “There are various vac protocols and a strong market for all-natural. We continue to produce more beef with fewer cattle and fewer resources. We continue to move the measurement from choice to prime grade that consumers are willing to pay for.”

TSCRA Officers

Polk entered his second term as TSCRA president. Stephen Diebel of Victoria is first vice president. Dan Gattis of Georgetown is second vice president and secretary-treasurer. 

“We’re excited about TSCRA’s future,” Polk said. “We encourage ranches and landowners across Texas and the Southwest to join TSCRA. The rewards are many, especially the access to our Special Rangers.”  

 

Texas Feedyards Need Mexican Cattle

In addition to feeding native cattle, many Texas feedyards, especially those further south, feed Mexican cattle to meet the needs of beef consumers. While it’s critical to have an open border for Mexican cattle to head north, the health of native cattle in the U.S. remains the top priority, explained Brady Miller, director of market, membership and education at Texas Cattle Feeders Association in Amarillo.

He said Mexican cattle are essential to the Texas cattle feeding business. Regional feedyards have experienced lower cattle on feed numbers as the border closed in November after NWS was confirmed in Mexico. It reopened in early February after inspections by USDA-APHIS were completed and heightened protocols were established. From then until late April, about 177,000 Mexican cattle moved across the border for stocker operations and feedyards, Miller said.

“That is compared to about 463,000 in January-April 2024 and 404,000 in January-April 2023,” he added. “We average about 1.2 million Mexican cattle imported annually into the U.S. From 70 to 85 percent of those cattle stay in Texas.

“That’s well over 15 percent of the cattle our feedyards finish annually. If we took that number out of the marketplace, the price for the consumer would be significantly higher. Therefore, ensuring that cattle from Mexico can cross into the U.S. safely while protecting native cattle herd health is essential.”