USDA defends screwworm response amid congressional fingerpointing
· KRGV (NBC 5)
During a recent Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins defended the USDA's response to the New World screwworm, which was first confirmed in a South Texas calf in June. Rollins stated that the agency received $1.3 billion in emergency funding to combat the pest, but acknowledged that current production of sterile flies is insufficient, with only 100 million produced weekly instead of the needed 500 to 700 million. Political leaders are debating the cause of this shortfall, with Rollins blaming the Biden administration's policies and Democrats pointing to cuts made in 2025. The USDA plans to expand production capacity, including a new facility in Edinburg expected to open in 2027.
AI summary · Source: KRGV (NBC 5) →
