The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers broke ground Friday on the facility at the Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, which will produce 100 million sterile flies per week by November 2027, according to a recent news release. The major development is designed to serve as a safeguard against a New World screwworm invasion. 

Officials said construction of the new facility is on an aggressive timeline, with the facility expected to quickly ramp up production from initial operations to full-scale production of 300 million sterile flies per week.

“The New World screwworm threatens the health of our herds, the stability of rural economies, and the resilience of our supply chain,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in the release. “Breaking ground on this facility marks a major investment in safeguarding America’s livestock and the producers who feed this nation.”

New World screwworms are deadly, flesh-eating parasites that threaten cattle and other livestock. At the new facility, scientists will mass-produce sterile male flies and release them into targeted areas. Because female screwworm flies mate only once, pairing with a sterile male ensures their eggs never hatch. 

“This new, modern facility is the critical infrastructure we need to secure a defensive line against the New World screwworm for generations to come,” USACE Lieutenant General William Graham said in the release.

The production in Edinburg will complement two other facilities: the COPEG plant in Panama produces 100 million sterile flies per week, and Mexico’s Metapa MX facility is expected to be operational this summer. The USDA also opened an $8.5 million facility for sterile fly dispersal at the Moore Air Base in February. 

Several lawmakers at the Edinburg groundbreaking underscored the facility’s critical role in stopping the spread of the screwworm in the U.S.

“Together, we are taking a vital step to protect our cattle industry and keep our local agricultural community thriving,” said U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Edinburg), who represents the state’s 15th congressional district. 

“Texas ranks first in the nation in cattle production, and I will keep working with Secretary Rollins to ensure Texas ranchers and farmers are supported and protected from this pest,” Cornyn said.Â