Mexican ranchers ensure health status for international trade
The National Confederation of Livestock Organizations (CNOG) has issued a formal statement in which producers, particularly in northern Mexico, claim to be fully capable of guaranteeing the safe transit of livestock to the United States, without the risk of spreading the screwworm plague. This positioning underlines the joint effort with the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) to maintain the highest standards of animal health and contain the spread of the parasite.
The organization maintains that the sanitary status of national bovine production is solid and suggests that the final decision on the reopening of imports by the US seems to be more linked to the complex network of bilateral trade negotiations than to a well-founded concern about the entry of the infestation. The CNOG calls for recognition of the collective efforts made within the framework of the National Emergency Device for Animal Health (DINESA), despite the budgetary and operational challenges.
Comprehensive health containment and control strategy
More than a year after the initial detection of the Cochliomyia hominivorax parasite in Catazajá, Chiapas, Mexico maintains an active containment scheme. The actions implemented are multifaceted. Initially, strict mobilization and health inspection controls were established, which were significantly reinforced in the southeast region, a critical area due to its high livestock inventory and for concentrating a third of the calves destined for fattening in the country.
One of the most complex logistical challenges has been managing the safe transit of more than 2.2 million head of cattle from states such as Chiapas, Tabasco, Oaxaca, southern Veracruz and the Yucatan Peninsula to the central and northern feedlots. To this end, each animal receives prophylactic treatment against screwworm and is inspected at federal inspection points (PFI) during its transport, following standardized health protocols.
In parallel, operations have been intensified to discourage and reduce the illegal movement of cattle from Central America, a historical route of epidemiological risk. In the area of training, ranchers in the southeast have received specialized instruction in the prevention of wounds (the parasite’s main entry point) and in the identification and early care of possible infestations, with the support of federal and state authorities.
Reinforced protocols and biological control on the northern border
In the northern region, local livestock unions have immediately adjusted their procedures to the export protocols issued by the National Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality Service (SENASICA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Sanitary shielding schemes have been implemented in coordination with state governments, with the explicit objective of preventing the plague from reaching the border strip.
The control strategy is not limited to surveillance. A fundamental technical component is the continuity of the biological control program through the release of sterile flies, reproduced in a plant in Panama. This technique, scientifically proven, interrupts the reproductive cycle of the parasite by drastically reducing the probability of successful mating between wild specimens, representing a sustainable and long-term tool for the suppression and eventual eradication of the pest.
The tangible result of this set of measures, as reported by the CNOG, is that livestock mortality directly associated with the screwworm has remained at minimum and manageable levels, demonstrating the effectiveness of the containment system. The declaration of the livestock farmers not only seeks to guarantee the continuity of the commercial flow, vital for the economy of the sector, but also to reaffirm the technical capacity and commitment of Mexico with international agricultural health.
Are you interested in learning more about innovations in animal health and agri-food trade?Share this analysis on your social networks and explore our content section to delve deeper into the topics that define the future of the primary sector.
