Texas Gears Up for $750M ‘Fly Factory’ to Shield US Cattle from Flesh-Eating Screwworms

The United States is moving forward with plans for a monumental $750 million facility in southern Texas, designed to breed billions of sterile flies. This ambitious project aims to bolster defenses against flesh-eating screwworm maggots, preventing them from crossing the Mexican border and devastating the American cattle industry.

Secretary Brooke Rollins recently announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) intent to commence production and release of sterile male New World screwworm flies from the new factory on Moore Air Base near Edinburg, Texas, within the next year. This initiative represents a significant escalation in efforts to combat the parasite.

In addition to the factory, the USDA plans to deploy $100 million in advanced technology, including fly traps and lures, alongside intensified border patrols featuring “tick riders” and trained sniffer dogs. The U.S. border remains closed to cattle, horse, and bison imports from Mexico, a measure taken three times in the last eight months, until the pest is demonstrably pushed back south towards Panama.

Officials are gravely concerned that an unchecked screwworm infestation in Texas could trigger billions in economic losses and further inflate already record-high retail beef prices. The parasite also poses a threat to wildlife, domestic pets, and, on rare occasions, humans. Rollins underscored the gravity of the situation, stating, “Farm security is national security,” during a news conference with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

This new Texas facility marks the first U.S.-based fly factory in decades, signifying a robust commitment to eradicating the pest that was largely controlled in the 1970s through similar sterile insect techniques. The factory is projected to produce up to 300 million sterile flies weekly, a critical step in a proactive strategy to prevent devastating agricultural and economic impacts.

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