Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is trading barbs with the Trump Administration over its response to a parasitic pest that continues to make its way north in Mexico, and could potentially threaten the state\u2019s $15 billion cattle industry if it crosses the border.<\/p>\n
This week, in an interview with a Nashville television network that focuses on rural issues, Miller expressed frustration that the U.S. Department of Agriculture was not using a synthetic bait that he has promoted to combat the New World Screwworm, a fly that infects warm-blooded animals and recently has been spotted less than 100 miles from the border.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still haven\u2019t gotten buy-in from the USDA to do a fly bait,\u201d Miller told RFD-TV. \u201cIf we put out the fly bait, we can wipe out the screwworm in Mexico in 90 days, but for some reason, they\u2019re very reluctant to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the USDA responded accusing the elected agriculture commissioner of \u201cblatantly disregarding tried and true (New World Screwworm) offensive strategies in favor of clickbait publicity stunts.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the statement, which was first reported by RFD-TV and provided to The Texas Tribune by the USDA, a spokesperson said the agency deployed and tested Miller\u2019s \u201cinfamous traps\u201d and they were found to be \u201cineffective.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn one month, USDA\u2019s traps in Panama caught thousands of New World Screwworm flies \u2014 Commissioner Miller\u2019s traps caught ONE single NWS fly,\u201d the spokesperson said. \u201cWhen presented with the results of his traps underperforming, Commissioner Miller indicated USDA staff should \u2018paint them black\u2019 to which USDA declined.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUSDA looks forward to working with any and all partners who seek to find REAL solutions to defeat the NWS,\u201d the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n
In response to the USDA, Miller issued a statement saying he appreciated the agency\u2019s \u201chistoric effort\u201d to fight the New World Screwworm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all on the same team here, and I look forward to continuing our partnership to stop this threat in its tracks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Since August, Miller has been pushing for state and federal agencies to use a synthetic bait he called TDA Swormlure, which he said was created by his Biosecurity team.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis new attractant, named TDA Swormlure, marks a serious upgrade in our efforts to protect Texas livestock from the threat of the New World Screwworm,\u201d said Miller in an August press release. \u201c(E)arly feedback has been encouraging, and the traps are expected to outperform anything else available.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Monday, Miller told RFD-TV he was frustrated that the USDA wasn\u2019t using the fly bait.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey tell me that it\u2019s environmentally unsound because it will kill the good flies,\u201d Miller said. \u201cGood flies, is that like a good fire ant? I don\u2019t know what a good fly is. I don\u2019t know if they\u2019re afraid to kill house flies or stable flies, but I\u2019m ready to kill the screwworm fly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The USDA has announced a variety of methods to try and stop the fly from entering the United States and infecting cattle. In June, Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a plan<\/a> to combat the threat of the parasitic insect that includes investing $8.5 million to build a sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg. In August, USDA announced a $750 million facility<\/a> in Edinburg that will produce about 300 million sterile screwworm flies per week.<\/p>\n By mating with sterile female flies, the intent is to produce non-viable eggs so that the population will eventually die out.<\/p>\n Miller, who was once reportedly in contention for Rollins\u2019 job leading the U.S. department, has issued multiple public statements and press releases about the state\u2019s efforts to combat New World Screwworm, stating that the Texas Department of Agriculture is the \u201ctip of the spear\u201d in partnering to combat the fly.<\/p>\n In June, Gov. Greg Abbott<\/a> ordered the Texas Animal Health Commission and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to establish a Texas New World Screwworm Response Team to help coordinate and share information on efforts to stop the spread of the parasite.<\/p>\n \u201cThe mission for the Response Team is clear: to lead Texas\u2019 prevention and response efforts and ensure that Texas remains informed, prepared, and aligned to prevent the re-emergence of this destructive parasite,\u201d Abbott wrote in a letter to the agency heads in June.<\/p>\n Immediately after RFD-TV published USDA\u2019s statements, Texas agriculture groups, including the Texas Farm Bureau and Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, signaled on social media their support for the federal agency over Miller.<\/p>\n \u201cThe proven way to eradicate screwworm is through sterile fly production, not traps & bait,\u201d wrote the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association on X. \u201cTSCRA stands with the Trump Administration, @SecRollins<\/a> and USDA. We cannot afford distractions from unproven methods.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Berenice Garcia contributed to this report.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n