Sterile Fly Plant to Fight Screwworm Opens Soon

Mexico City — President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that a specialized facility for breeding sterile flies to combat the cattle screwworm is in its final stage of construction and is expected to be completed within two months. The announcement was made during the president's regular morning press conference this Monday.

Integrated Strategy Against the Plague

President Sheinbaum detailed that the plant, located in Chiapas, is part of a broader strategy. "The fly factory in Chiapas is about to be finished in two months. It's not just for releasing flies that prevent fertility and eliminate larvae, but also, with the help of the Sembrando Vida team, we've been working on making traps that catch the flies and thus reduce the insect population," she said.

The president reported that her administration is collaborating with the states of Sonora, Durango, Coahuila, and soon Tamaulipas, to develop Integrated Meat Production Centers intended for export.

She indicated that the United States is providing resources for the plant and that a key goal is to reopen the border. This reopening, she stated, will proceed once a final decision is made following operations against the insect.

Regarding the livestock sector's condition, Sheinbaum said it has persevered despite the adversities of the plague. "The ranchers, even with the situation, found a market at the national level… in addition, prices increased," she assured.

National Commission Created to Address Emergency

On February 20, the Ministry of Welfare announced the creation of the National Commission for the Attention of the Cattle Screwworm. This inter-institutional group aims to intensify the fight against the plague.

In a statement, the agency indicated the measure was agreed upon at a meeting led by Columba Jazmín López Gutiérrez and responds to growing concern over the damage the insect causes to livestock and the rural economy. The commission involves coordination at the federal, state, and municipal levels.

The official strategy seeks to expand the scope of action of the National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA) by incorporating the Sembrando Vida program platform into both detection and community monitoring efforts.

The approach reinforces the technical dimension of control and incorporates tens of thousands of rural producers into operational activities.

Deployment Figures and Training

In figures, the Commission reports the placement of 234,280 traps to date, out of a total target of 845,060. The deployment structure involves 379 community facilitators, 3,923 production and social technicians, and a total of 422,530 planters.

Coordination will be handled by the Undersecretariat of Productive Inclusion and Rural Development of Welfare, headed by López Gutiérrez.

The Commission's mandate establishes the formation of state and regional committees, training for technical managers and producers, communication campaigns, and systematic trapping and suppression actions. It also adds to the registration and epidemiological monitoring under SENASICA.

During the meeting, the Undersecretariat for Productive Inclusion delivered the "Training Program for Strengthening the National Strategy for Addressing the Cattle Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) Emergency," designed to facilitate the identification and reporting of cases in the field. The training emphasizes "strengthening the identification, response, reporting, and follow-up of cases in the field," according to the press release.

The Commission plans constant monitoring, supported by information gathered by the traps and the operational structure deployed in the field, with a commitment to guide technical decisions based on epidemiological monitoring.