Mexico Steps Up Fight Against Cattle Screwworm

Julio Berdegué, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), held meetings in Tampico and Veracruz, both attended by livestock leaders and with the participation of the senior management of the National Service for Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA), led by its Director General, Javier Calderón. The purpose of these working meetings was to agree on a special action plan to contain and control the spread of the cattle screwworm (GBG) in central and northern Veracruz and in Tamaulipas, with immediate actions to be implemented in the coming weeks.

The agreed measures include strengthening controls on livestock movement, deploying 20 new field brigades to expand coverage, bringing the total to 170 personnel, increasing the release of sterile flies, expanding training programs, and increasing the number of traps, among other actions.

Berdegué emphasized that the central pillar of the strategy is the continued strengthening of actions to halt the spread of the pest. For this reason, coordinated work among state and municipal governments, producers, SENASICA, and the Ministry of Agriculture is the foundation of the GBG containment and eradication strategy.

“The immediate task is to deactivate the cases that have recently emerged in Tamaulipas, as well as to reinforce preventive measures in that state. In northern and central Veracruz, we are working to contain the spread and guide it in a controlled manner toward the southern part of the state,” Berdegué highlighted.

During his remarks, Tampico Governor Américo Villarreal acknowledged the efforts made by the federal, state, and municipal governments, SENASICA, livestock associations, and livestock and cattle producers. He expressed optimism regarding the action plan and called for strengthening measures against GBG in order to eradicate the pest in the state.

“Let us sustain this effort so that it continues and once again provides economic opportunities for those who work in this important field, which is a vocation rooted in Tamaulipas tradition,” the state governor added.

Rodrigo Calderón, Minister of Agricultural and Livestock Development of Veracruz, presented a series of proposals developed in coordination with livestock associations in the state. Among the most notable are the strengthening of animal health inspection checkpoints in Pánuco, Pueblo Viejo, Cosamaloapan, Puente Alvarado, Puente Papaloapan, and La Tinaja, as well as the implementation of four mobile inspection modules on highways and exit junctions leading to other states.

Calderón added that the action plan also includes strengthening livestock movement controls through itinerant routes in San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz, with support from the National Guard.

Finally, Berdegué stressed that proactive collaboration and joint efforts will be key to replicating the success of other states that have managed to eradicate the pest. He told producers that it is indeed possible to stop the spread of GBG, and that by working together it is possible to overcome this challenge and strengthen the livestock sector.

Status of Pest Control in Mexico

SENASICA reported that timely response and strict protocols have ensured that 95.7% of the total 492 active cases as of January 7 are concentrated in nine states: Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Campeche, Guerrero, and Puebla. This represents a 57% reduction in comparison to previous figures reported in December accounting for 1,145 active cases.

Michoacan, San Luis Potosi, and the State of Mexico have fewer than 10 cases, which are being addressed with the aim of inactivating them. Meanwhile, the states of Jalisco, Morelos, Nuevo Leon, and Queretaro, which previously had GBG cases, are currently free of the pest.

The agency also highlighted that the new sterile fly production plant in Metapa de Domínguez, Chiapas, is 48% complete and is scheduled to begin operations in the first half of this year, as planned. This will make it possible to double the current number of sterile flies available, reaching a total of 200 million per week.

SENASICA reiterated that timely reporting of suspected cases is essential and that no quarantine or other sanctions are imposed on affected production units. Instead, preventive technical sanitary measures and veterinary treatment are applied to affected animals. All of this forms part of the Joint Action Plan between Mexico and the United States.