{"id":327441,"date":"2026-06-08T12:16:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T12:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/327441\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T12:16:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T12:16:08","slug":"canada-bans-texas-livestock-imports-after-second-screwworm-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/327441\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada Bans Texas Livestock Imports After Second Screwworm Case"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hoosier Ag Today\u2019s C.J. Miller reported<\/a> that \u201ca second case of the flesh-eating New World screwworm has been confirmed in South Texas, intensifying concerns among agricultural officials and prompting Canada to suspend livestock imports from Texas as authorities mount an aggressive response to prevent the parasite from spreading deeper into the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Friday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced temporary restrictions on livestock imports from Texas. Under the order, cattle, horses and other livestock that originated in Texas or were present in the state within 21 days before entering Canada will be denied entry,\u201d Miller reported. \u201cCanadian officials emphasized that the parasite is unlikely to establish itself permanently because of the country\u2019s colder climate but said precautionary measures were necessary during the summer months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Mature New World screwworm larvae. Courtesy of the USDA APHIS.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe United States and Canada maintain a substantial cross-border livestock trade network, with animals routinely transported for breeding, feeding and slaughter,\u201d Miller reported. \u201cCanadian authorities imported roughly 550,000 cattle from the United States last year, according to government figures. The Texas outbreak has also prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to issue a disaster declaration covering Zavala and neighboring Uvalde County.\u201d<\/p>\n

But USA Today\u2019s Eduardo Cuevas reported<\/a> that \u201cAndrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, said Canada was overreacting as Texas and USDA are moving quickly to contain and eradicate screwworm in a limited area of South Texas. \u2018This pest affects live animals and does not impact inspected Texas beef,\u2019 Mahaleris said in a statement to USA TODAY sent June 6. \u2018Canada\u2019s broad restriction on Texas livestock is an overreaction that is more political than science-based.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Texas Ranchers Question USDA\u2019s Screwworm Response<\/p>\n

Reuters\u2019 Heather Schlitz reported<\/a> that \u201cthe U.S. Department of Agriculture (last) week confirmed two infestations of New World screwworm in Texas \u2014 the state\u2019s first cases since the 1970s. However, local residents \u200cand ranchers remain split over whether to trust the agency\u2019s response, with some saying it\u2019s too slow or not far-reaching enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Friday, about 100 ranchers in mud-splattered boots and cowboy hats packed a small high school cafeteria for a Texas Animal Health Commission briefing on screwworm, peppering officials with questions and venting frustration over what they saw \u200bas a slow federal response,\u201d Schlitz reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the meeting, (rancher John Paul) Schuster lambasted what he saw as the slow pace of sterile fly plant construction, saying a wider infestation could endanger the ranching and hunting industries crucial to the economy for Kinney County\u2019s 3,000 residents,\u201d Schlitz reported. \u201c\u2018If it\u2019s not controlled in two years and eradicated in five years, my little county will be done,\u2019 Schuster said.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThough the USDA has detailed its strategy for containing screwworm, some ranchers have bristled at what they view as a lack of transparency, including the agency\u2019s decision not to disclose \u200bexact coordinates where sterile flies are being released,\u201d Schlitz reported. \u201c\u2026Other ranchers dismissed the USDA\u2019s recommendations\u2014including daily inspections and preventive treatments \u2014 as impractical for operations that span thousands of acres, face severe labor shortages, and lack skilled cowboys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blame Game Begins<\/p>\n

USA Today\u2019s Cuevas reported<\/a> that \u201cthe Trump administration has faced increasing criticism for Elon Musk\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency cuts to a U.S. Agency of International Development program to monitor and prevent the spread of New World screwworm in Central America, according to an agriculture industry trade publication. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller told NBC that USDA moved too slowly and relied only on a partial solution that would take years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn response to emailed questions, USDA denied that budget cuts caused screwworm\u2019s entrance into the country,\u201d Cuevas reported. \u201cAgriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has blamed the previous Biden administration, which left office nearly a year and a half ago, for past immigration and border policies allowing the parasite\u2019s spread. Instead, she said, USDA is investing in sterile fly production and releases.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hoosier Ag Today\u2019s C.J. Miller reported that \u201ca second case of the flesh-eating New World screwworm has been…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":327442,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27,29,28],"class_list":["post-327441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=327441"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327441\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/327442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=327441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=327441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=327441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}