Limited cattle imports from Mexico are set to resume through the Texas border after a yearlong shutdown aimed at stopping the spread of the New World Screwworm.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday it will resume importing a limited number of cattle from Mexico, adhering to a joint action plan between the countries designed to control the parasite.
According to the Texas Tribune:
“In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said it is a coordinated reopening of the port in Douglas, Arizona, that will occur in phases beginning Aug. 24. It is also contingent on Mexico adhering to a joint action plan between the countries in response to the New World screwworm.
“Rollins said the closure was previously necessary to protect the livestock industry. As of Friday, there has been 42 cases in the U.S., all but one of which has been reported in Texas.”
What it means for beef prices
The Texas Farm Bureau said the increased availability of cattle could eventually affect beef prices for consumers.
“The laws of supply and demand are fully in play,” said Tracy Tomascik, Texas Farm Bureau associate director of commodity and regulatory affairs. “If there is high demand for the safe, nutritious, high quality beef that American consumers are accustomed to, well, if we have less supply, it gets more expensive.”
Tomascik added that beef prices have been impacted not only by the import shutdown, but also by ongoing drought conditions.
With the border reopening, industry officials said relief may be on the way.
“We think that our supply of beef is going to increase, not only from those imports, but also domestically,” Tomascik said.
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