Why Buying Local Beef Matters More Than Ever: U.S. Reinstates Ban on Cattle Imports from Mexico
With the growing threat of the New World Screwworm at the U.S./Mexico border, it is now more important than ever to buy your beef locally from Shenandoah Sky Ranch.
In response to an update provided by Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA) on the presence of the flesh-eating New World Screwworm (NWS) just 370 miles south of the U.S./Mexico border, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Rollins closes Mexican livestock import channels.
With the demand for beef remaining high, U.S. ranchers are under immense pressure to fill the gap without the buffer of imported supply. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the U.S. cow herd is now the smallest it has been since 1951 – even though the U.S. human population has more than doubled since then. By purchasing locally raised beef from Shenandoah Sky Ranch, consumers help stabilize the domestic agriculture industry, support rural economies, and ensure their meat comes from healthy cattle.
The New World Screwworm is not a worm, but rather a fly larva. They populate open wounds on livestock where female flies lay hundreds of eggs. Maggots with screw-shaped mouths emerge from the eggs, hook onto their host, and feed on their healthy flesh. If left untreated, the larvae’s presence is deadly – killing an infected cow in just 1-2 weeks. Consequently, the U.S. cattle industry could be at risk of losing up to $1B, according to the USDA. The primary concerns surrounding the screwworm outbreak are the health and survival of the cattle, as well as the already diminished size of the U.S. cow herd, rather than the eating quality of the meat.
The U.S. and Mexico have been fighting to eradicate these parasites for decades, with their first successful attempt at elimination dating back to the 1960s. Their efforts were supported by the growth and distribution of millions of sterile adult NWSs, which mated with females, resulting in the laying of nonviable eggs. However, more recently in November 2024, the parasite was redetected, closing the Mexican livestock import channels through February 2025. Under careful surveillance, the channels’ suspension was lifted briefly before ultimately being closed again in May. This brings us to today – with plans to lift the ban in early July, threats of the NWSs encroaching northward have resulted in the closure of livestock trade yet again. The situation continues to be monitored, and the status of livestock trade will be assessed on an ongoing, monthly basis.
In partnership with the USDA, the U.S. Department of State, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and neighboring Central American countries' government officials, the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has invested $109.8 million in stopping the spread of the New World Screwworm.
References:
New World Screwworm Outbreak in Central America
U.S. Cattle Inventory Smallest in 73 years | Market Intel | American Farm Bureau Federation
U.S. halts cattle imports from Mexico, citing screwworm spread : NPR