October 15, 2010
USDA opens third cattle inspection site on border
The USDA expects to open a temporary cattle inspection facility in Eagle Pass at the end of the month, the third site on the US border since it suspended cattle station operations in Mexico earlier this year.
The two other sites inside the US opened in May in South Texas at Pharr-Hidalgo and Laredo.
"The cattle trade provides an important source of revenue for American producers and buyers and we are committed to maintaining the important trade relationship between the US and Mexico," Agriculture Undersecretary Edward Avalos said in a statement.
The USDA is charged with ensuring that imported animals are properly inspected to safeguard US agriculture. The new inspection location is part the USDA's effort to "aggressively pursue opportunities to keep trade lines open in spite of the recent security challenges," Avalos said.
In March, drug cartel violence prompted the USDA to suspend examining of US-bound cattle at three inspection stations in northern Mexico.
To serve as a temporary location, a site must have certain handling and dipping facilities, be able to handle the large number of animals expected and be accessible to cattle brokers and dealers.
The Piedras Negras/Eagle Pass port was chosen because it already is a major cattle crossing area, according to the USDA, which signed a lease October 7 with the Amistad Penns for a temporary facility in Eagle Pass.
Officials expect to begin accepting cattle shipments from Mexico by the end of October.
