Texas Dept. of Agriculture Commissioner comments on plans to reopen livestock ports
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Sid Miller, Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture, shared the following statement regarding the USDA's plans to restart livestock imports to the U.S.
The Texas Department of Agriculture shared the following statement yesterday:
"I would like to thank President Trump, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, and their team at the USDA for their smart, data-driven decision to reopen U.S. ports to cattle, bison, and equines from Mexico. Agricultural producers and our rural economies depend on this cross-border commerce, and reopening our ports with strong, science-based protocols in place is the right decision. The USDA’s approach balances strong animal health safeguards with the urgent need to get our livestock trade moving again. Hats off to Secretary Rollins for getting this done for our ranchers across the nation."
In May, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins suspended imports due to the threat of New World Screwworm.
The New World screwworm has been infecting livestock, especially cattle, in Mexico and Central America for the past few months. U.S. authorities implemented the temporary ban to prevent the spread of the parasite to American cattle.
The USDA plans to reopen several ports of entry over the next few months:
- Douglas, AZ – July 7
- Columbus, NM – July 14
- Santa Teresa, NM – July 21
- Del Rio, TX – August 18
- Laredo, TX – September 15
