Mexico’s Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegue confirmed that there is still no date set for resuming cattle exports to the United States, as both countries continue efforts to contain the screwworm outbreak threatening livestock across the region.
Speaking at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference, Berdegue said he held a video meeting with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and that discussions were progressing, though no reopening date had yet been agreed upon. “We have made considerable progress, and I am very optimistic,” he stated.
The United States closed its border to most Mexican cattle imports in May after detecting the flesh-eating screwworm parasite spreading northward from Central America. The outbreak has alarmed livestock producers in both countries, as the pest can rapidly devastate herds if left untreated.
Joint measures to control the parasite
Mexico and the United States have agreed to test modular mobile plants capable of increasing sterile fly production by up to 20 million additional flies each week. These sterile insects are a key part of a biological control method: once released into the wild, they mate with wild females but produce no offspring, gradually reducing the parasite population.
In addition, Mexico is building a new sterile fly facility in Chiapas, expected to begin operations in 2026 with a $21 million investment from the U.S. government. Once fully functional, it will generate 100 million flies weekly to accelerate eradication efforts. “We will only be able to get it out of the country once we have the additional 100 million flies,” Berdegue emphasized.
President Sheinbaum had previously announced that Berdegue would travel to Washington for in-person talks aimed at securing an agreement on reopening the cattle trade. Meanwhile, Sheinbaum and U.S. President Donald Trump recently agreed to extend a key trade negotiation deadline by several weeks to resolve pending bilateral issues.
The reopening of the cattle border remains a priority for Mexico’s agricultural sector, which faces mounting pressure from producers affected by export losses and the ongoing health emergency.