WASHINGTON — USDA announces investment in a fruit fly production facility in Mexico to help combat the New World Screwworm (NWS).
“Our partnership with Mexico is crucial in making this effort a success,” Brooke Rollins, U.S. agriculture secretary, said. “We are continuing to work closely with Mexico to push NWS away from the United States and out of Mexico. The investment I am announcing today is one of many efforts my team is making around the clock to protect our animals, our farm economy, and the security of our nation’s food supply.”
Rollins announced on May 27, that the USDA will be investing $21M to renovate an existing fruit fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico, to further the goal of eradicating the insect in the long-term. Once operational the facility will produce 60 to 100 million additional sterile NWS flies per week to help push the population further south in Mexico.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and its Mexican counterpart are holding ongoing meetings to ensure strong progress towards enhancing surveillance in Mexico is being made.
Current live animal import restrictions from Mexico remain in place, and the USDA will continue to evaluate the current suspension every 30 days.
