Posted on 04/26/2025 4:08:31 PM PDT by Libloather
In a dramatic move to protect America’s cattle industry, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has warned Mexico that the U.S. will halt imports of live animals — including cattle and bison — if Mexico doesn’t step up efforts to combat a dangerous pest creeping northward.
In a letter sent Saturday and obtained by Fox News, Secretary Rollins put the Mexican government on notice to act immediately to fight the spread of the New World screwworm or face serious economic consequences on the border.
The USDA has set a firm deadline of April 30 for Mexico to address the growing crisis, or U.S. ports of entry will slam the door on key animal commodities.
"I must inform you that if these issues are not resolved by Wednesday, April 30, USDA will restrict the importation of animal commodities, which consist of live cattle, bison, and equine originating from or transporting to Mexico to protect the interest of the agriculture industry in the United States," Rollins wrote.
The New World screwworm, a flesh-eating fly whose larvae can decimate livestock populations, has been spreading rapidly from Central America into southern Mexico. USDA officials have long relied on a sophisticated sterile insect technique (SIT) program — using specially equipped aircraft to release sterile flies — to keep the deadly pest in check. But that strategy is now in jeopardy.
At the heart of the conflict is Dynamic Aviation, a U.S. government-contracted carrier tasked with aerial fly dispersals. According to the letter, Mexican aviation authorities are limiting Dynamic’s operations to just six days a week under a temporary 60-day permit, a move the USDA says undermines the urgent, around-the-clock response needed to stop the screwworm’s advance.
Even more troubling, Rollins said Mexican customs officials are imposing hefty import duties on critical supplies like sterile flies, aviation parts...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
“I don’t want to be eatin any Mexican cow meat!”
You wouldn’t know if you were, this is for live cattle. Mexico ships immature cattle to the USA to be put either on pasture as grass fed it to a feed lot here. Once in country and feed here those cows are now slaughtered as USA cows there is no way of knowing where the calf came from since it was live when it got here. One word NAFTA signed by and legislated by Republicans BTW.
“Why are we buying beef from Mexico in the first place.”
We are not buying beef from Mexico that’s implies cut primal cuts. These are live cattle or calfs brought here to be finished raising in feed lots. It’s a lot cheaper to raise calfs in Mexico than to do it here. NAFTA is the word you are looking for. Americans want cheap beef well this is how you get $5 hamburger meat. If the USA had to only use cattle breeding ops here ,with American labor prices, American feed prices beef would cost 2x or more as much. We have a labor cost problem as well as a commodities cost issue.
This is not whole carcass or primal cuts these are live animals which is why the risk of live parasites. If they were meat already there would be no risk of live parasites they would’ve removed from the carcass or killed by freezing in transport.
Yesterday I ought three ‘New York strips’ at the local Winn-Dixie.
They were about 1/4’ thick. I fixed one for today’s dinner (a widower) and sprinkled Montreal steak seasoning on it.
It was over tenderized, tasteless, and I’ll throw the other two in the garbage.
I’m off beef for the duration.
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