R-CALF USA Supports Border Closure
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has once again closed the Mexican border to imports of live cattle, horses, and bison to protect the U.S. livestock herd from the New World Screwworm. This pest has been advancing northward since it was first detected in southern Mexico in November.
Initially, Rollins closed the border in November following Mexico's announcement of the screwworm detection. Imports resumed in February under a mitigation protocol, but the pest was recently found within about 700 miles of the U.S. border.
R-CALF USA, the largest trade association representing independent cattle and sheep producers, has long advocated for strict prohibitions against importing live cattle from countries with known livestock diseases or pests.
The group previously litigated against the USDA's efforts to reopen the Canadian border after multiple detections of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada from 2004 to 2008.
At that time, the USDA prioritized normalizing trade, accepting a higher risk of disease introduction than R-CALF USA was comfortable with.
Since then, R-CALF USA has opposed the USDA's actions to allow fresh beef imports from countries not free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), such as Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. Despite this opposition, the USDA has continued to facilitate these imports.
“It is clear that Secretary Rollins is willing to act decisively to protect the health of America’s cattle and sheep herds, as exemplified by her actions first taken in November and again yesterday in response to this New World Screwworm threat,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard.
"We commend the secretary for her action, knowing it is necessary to prevent serious financial injury to our domestic livestock industries, and we pledge our support for her ongoing efforts to help Mexico eradicate this dangerous pest."