Key facts
- The US plans to reopen the Santa Teresa, New Mexico, port for livestock inspections on Thursday.
- The US Department of Agriculture blocked imports from Mexico last year to prevent New World screwworm.
- Infestations of screwworm have been relatively contained, with two active US cases, including a horse in New Mexico.
- US ground beef prices reached a record near $7 per pound last month.
- It takes five to eight months to raise imported Mexican cattle to slaughter readiness.
- US cattle supplies remain tight due to persistent dryness over the past seven years.
The United States is set to reopen a major port for livestock inspections along the US-Mexican border on Thursday, aiming to increase cattle supplies. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) had blocked imports from Mexico last year due to concerns over New World screwworm, a pest that can harm cattle. While infestations have been largely contained, with only two active cases in the US, including a horse in New Mexico, the USDA believes trade can be safely widened.
Despite the reopening, experts do not anticipate an immediate drop in record-high beef prices. It typically takes five to eight months to raise imported Mexican cattle to slaughter weight. Furthermore, overall US cattle supplies remain tight, exacerbated by seven years of persistent dryness that has led ranchers to reduce herd sizes. In January, the US had 86.2 million cattle, the lowest number in 75 years.
The Santa Teresa port in New Mexico, which previously inspected about 43% of Mexican cattle imports, is expected to handle between 750 and 1,600 cattle daily under new treatment protocols. Imports are anticipated to help ease pressure on feedlots operating below capacity. A month prior, the USDA had already resumed imports at a smaller port in Douglas, Arizona, where approximately 6,500 cattle have crossed.
New Mexico officials expressed confidence in the safety of resuming trade, citing the implemented protocols, the low number of US cases, and the USDA's use of sterile flies to combat screwworm. However, state officials are investigating how a horse in New Mexico became infested without traveling. In Texas, while wild animals are suspected of spreading the pest, the USDA has not confirmed wildlife infestations or caught wild flies in traps, leading to questions about the accuracy of case counts. Experts suggest that small mammals, which hide when sick, may make wildlife cases difficult to detect.