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All articles tagged with #usda

health5 days ago•187 min saved

Screwworm comeback: a dinner-safe scare, but beef prices could rise

The New World screwworm has reappeared in the United States and targets living tissue in livestock, but public health officials say it does not threaten food safety—meat is still considered safe thanks to veterinary care and strict inspection; the bigger impact is economic, with potential billions in damage to the southwestern US and potential higher beef prices, since infestations affect livestock health and supply rather than the safety or quality of meat already in the food chain.

via CNN|

#beef-prices #food-safety #health

government8 days ago•7 min saved

USDA Relocation Plan Sparks Legal Battle Over Staffing

The Agriculture Department is pursuing a nationwide reorganization that relocates thousands of Washington, D.C.-area staff to five regional hubs, with many employees asked to move or resign. Unions have filed suit seeking a preliminary injunction, arguing the plan would degrade key programs and violate congressional funding restrictions, while noting attrition could parallel a large workforce reduction. USDA officials say the move is not intended as a large-scale reduction, but internal documents indicate substantial staffing cuts across multiple agencies as part of the plan.

via Federal News Network|

#government #injunction #relocation

politics15 days ago•14 min saved

Trump Admin Bets on Regenerative Agriculture With Market-Driven Biofuel Rule

President Trump signs an executive order advancing regenerative agriculture as the USDA releases the final Regenerative Feedstock Rule, linking regenerative farming practices to new biofuel markets with standards for carbon intensity, traceability, and auditing, plus an updated carbon intensity calculator to help farmers market feedstocks such as corn, soybeans, sorghum, and canola.

via USDA (.gov)|

#biofuels #executive-order #politics

politics27 days ago•2 min saved

Screwworm outbreak pressures U.S. beef market and becomes political heat

The USDA is preparing a $1 billion-plus program to eradicate screwworms in the United States after the first U.S. case surfaced in Texas, with 12 confirmed cases mostly among cattle. Beef prices are already high amid a drought-depleted herd, and the outbreak could worsen prices. Politically, Trump officials fault the Biden administration and immigration policy for the spread, while Democrats tie funding cuts to the response; if more detections occur, the pest could become a broader political risk for Trump and the GOP.

via Axios|

#beef-prices #gop #politics

agriculture1 month ago•12 min saved

Idaho tightens animal imports after screwworm detection

Idaho's agriculture department issued an administrative order restricting the movement of warm-blooded animals from screwworm‑infested zones and requiring a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued within five days of travel, plus documentation that the animal was authorized to leave the infested area, after the first U.S. screwworm case was confirmed in Texas. Animals from states with detections but outside infestation zones must also have a health certificate issued within five days before entering Idaho; officials urged pet owners and travelers to take precautions and coordinate with USDA.

via KSL News|

#agriculture #animal-importation #certificate-of-veterinary-inspection

science1 month ago•8 min saved

Return of the New World screwworm roils US beef markets amid cross-border crime links

A revived New World screwworm has been found in the US (Texas and New Mexico) after decades of eradication, with researchers tracing its comeback to illegal Central American cattle trafficking; the outbreak threatens billions in beef losses, has involved a dog case in New Mexico, and has spurred discussions on control methods including sterile fly releases and the controversial SWASS tool, underscoring the need for cross-border action to halt the pest at its source.

via CNN|

#illegal-cattle-trafficking #science #screwworm

world1 month ago•5 min saved

New World Screwworm Spreads Beyond Texas, Threatening U.S. Cattle Industry

The USDA confirms three additional New World screwworm cases, including one in New Mexico, signaling the parasite’s spread beyond Texas. Authorities have quarantines around affected areas and are ramping up sterile‑male fly releases as part of a long‑term program to halt the outbreak, while researchers seek faster sterile‑fly production and a potential Texas fly factory. Beef prices remain steady for now, but the parasite threatens the U.S. cattle industry if containment fails.

via ABC7 Los Angeles|

#agriculture #cattle #screwworm

agriculture1 month ago•4 min saved

New World Screwworm Sparks Federal Rebuke of Texas Official Over Reporting Remarks

The U.S. Department of Agriculture publicly rebuked Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller after he suggested ranchers might avoid reporting New World screwworm infestations due to quarantine restrictions, as Texas logged five confirmed cases in less than a week and New Mexico reported a case. Federal officials emphasize that rapid reporting enables containment through quarantines, surveillance, sterile fly releases, and other tools; Miller advocates deploying SWASS in addition to sterile flies. Governor Abbott and Rollins stressed a coordinated response, and a new senior advisor for screwworm preparedness was named.

via Texas Public Radio | TPR|

#agriculture #screwworm #sid-miller

agriculture1 month ago•4 min saved

Texas ag chief and USDA clash over screwworm response as outbreak looms

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins publicly clashes with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller over the federal response to the New World Screwworm outbreak in Texas, with Rollins calling Miller’s criticisms unserious and Miller accusing USDA of slow action and urging immediate deployment of the Screwworm Adult Suppression System. The feud highlights tensions between federal and state leaders as the parasite threatens cattle herds and beef prices, while the USDA presses ahead with its screwworm playbook—sterile flies, quarantine zones, increased surveillance—and ramps up production to contain the outbreak, amid calls for stronger federal intervention.

via CNBC|

#agriculture #miller #policy

usnews1 month ago•7 min saved

Texas Expands Screwworm Outbreak as Federal War on Screwworm Goes 24/7

Three more New World screwworm cases were confirmed in Texas (a calf in La Salle County, a dog from a New Mexico household, and a goat in Gillespie County), bringing the total to five. Federal and state officials, led by the USDA and Gov. Abbott, launched a wide‑scale response called the “War on Screwworm,” opened a 24/7 emergency command center, and are weighing options including ivermectin in animal feed as they warn the outbreak could threaten the cattle industry with as much as $1.8 billion in potential losses. The administration also announced a new federal adviser, John Bellinger, to help coordinate preparedness and response.

via The Texas Tribune|

#livestock #outbreak #screwworm

politics1 month ago•9 min saved

Beef-Price Bet Faces Flesh-Eating Setback in Texas

A New World screwworm outbreak near the Texas–Mexico border threatens Trump's bid to lower beef prices before the midterms, with potential billions in losses if it spreads. The USDA has quarantines and is releasing sterile flies to curb the pest, but containment is hampered by having only one North American sterile-fly facility (Panama) and a Texas plant not online until 2027. Beef prices are already high (ground beef ~ $7/lb, steak ~ $13/lb), and industry officials warn that the pest could keep costs elevated for farmers and shoppers.

via Politico|

#beef-prices #new-world-screwworm #politics

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Screwworm resurges in the U.S., forcing a restart of the sterile-fly program

The United States confirmed a natural incursion of the New World screwworm in Texas cattle—the first since 1982—after decades of eradicating the pest with mass releases of sterile male flies. Facing potential billions in economic impact from livestock losses, the USDA is funding a $750 million facility in Texas to produce about 300 million sterile screwworms per week by 2027. While the comeback mirrors the historic campaign, experts note aging facilities elsewhere and a growing debate among bioethicists about using genetic modification to wipe out the species, a method not yet ready for deployment.

via NBC News|

#bioethics #livestock #science

science1 month ago•2 min saved

Second Texas Case of New World Screwworm Triggers Border Measures

The USDA confirmed a second case of New World screwworm in a one‑month‑old calf in Zavala County, Texas, near the first case, within a movement‑control zone where sterile insects are released. Canada will temporarily restrict imports of U.S. livestock from affected areas. The USDA says the U.S. food supply remains safe and no meat is at risk, with eradication efforts continuing and heightened vigilance urged for livestock owners.

via CNBC|

#canada #livestock #science

science1 month ago•15 min saved

Texas Expands Disaster Response After Second Screwworm Case

A second New World screwworm case has been confirmed in Zavala County, Texas, near the first case, prompting Gov. Abbott to broaden the state disaster declaration and mobilize state and federal resources to accelerate sterile-fly production and distribution as part of an intensified containment effort, with surveillance zones and a planned South Texas facility amid potential economic impacts."

via The Texas Tribune|

#abbott #science #screwworm

agriculture1 month ago•18 min saved

South Texas Faces First New World Screwworm Case, Sparking Broad Response

Texas has confirmed the first U.S. case of New World screwworm in a 3‑week‑old calf from Zavala County, prompting federal and state actions. While meat isn’t at immediate risk, the outbreak could cost up to $1.8 billion to Texas’ cattle economy and push beef prices higher. Officials are using sterile-fly release programs, quarantines, and enhanced border surveillance with Mexico and Panama to eradicate the pest, building on a historic eradication effort from the 1960s. Hunters and pet owners should monitor wounds on animals and report suspected screwworms to a veterinarian; FDA-approved treatments exist, though medicated feed is not yet approved.

via The Texas Tribune|

#agriculture #cattle #screwworm