Commissioner Sid Miller Convenes Binational New World Screwworm Summit to Demand Aggressive Action

SANTA TERESA, NM — Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today joined federal, state, and industry leaders in New Mexico for a New World Screwworm (NWS) Summit, calling for immediate, coordinated action to stop the pest before it further threatens America's livestock industry, wildlife, pets, and economy. The summit brought together officials from across the region, both in the United States and Mexico, to discuss surveillance, eradication strategies, cross-border coordination, and the urgent to need use every proven tool to eliminate the NWS threat. The event took place at the New Mexico Border Authority facility in Santa Teresa, which is home to the most modern livestock processing facility on the US/Mexico border, a critically important link between the agricultural economies of the United States and Mexico.

"The New World screwworm doesn't care where a state line or international border is," Commissioner Miller said. "This is a fight for every rancher, every producer, and every American who depends on a safe and secure food supply. We cannot afford bureaucracy or half measures when our food security and billions of dollars are on the line on both sides of the border."

Commissioner Miller reiterated his call for the United States to fully utilize the proven Screwworm Adult Suppression System (SWASS), the USDA-developed program that successfully eradicated New World screwworm from the United States decades ago. The summit participants agreed to a new Charter agreement committing all parties to increased communication, better coordination, and a commitment to using every proven tool to combat the New World screwworm.

“I am proud to have convened this critical meeting of leaders from two nations and multiple cities and states to agree to a new era of coordination, cooperation and communication. Today's summit was an essential step toward protecting North American agriculture and we are leaving this meeting with broad agreement to use every tool available to strike a decisive blow against the NWS threat."

Miller emphasized that containing the outbreak will require unprecedented cooperation between federal agencies, border states, Mexico, and the livestock industry. He urged the Trump Administration and USDA to continue accelerating sterile fly production, strengthen surveillance along the southern border, and ensure ranchers have access to the tools and resources necessary to protect their herds.

"This isn't a problem just for the United States or our partners in Mexico," Miller said. "If we fail to stop this pest, every producer in this country will pay the price. We know what works because we've beaten screwworm before. Now it's time to stop debating and start doing."