The spread of screwworm flies is facing a double whammy for Mexican ranchers; costs are soaring and the United States, its biggest export market, has banned the import of live cattle
The spread of screwworm flies is facing a double whammy for Mexican ranchers: costs are soaring and the United States, its biggest export market, has banned the import of live cattle. Mexican meat industry group Comecarne estimates the country has lost nearly $2.8 billion in live cattle exports since the U.S. closed its borders to Mexican cattle in 2024. Screwworm flies have wreaked havoc on Mexico's livestock industry, with more than 20,000 officially recorded cases of infection in cattle and 13,000 cases in other animals.