December 20, 2024

 

USDA retracts comments on resuming US' cattle imports from Mexico before year-end holidays

 

 

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) late on December 13 walked back comments that it could resume imports of Mexican cattle before year-end holidays, after it suspended shipments last month due to the discovery of New World screwworm in Mexico.

 

The agency also said it approved a second round of emergency funding to block the flesh-eating livestock pest from entering the United States.

 

Lifting the import suspension would remove a barrier for the US agricultural sector, as farmers and consumers prepare for rising prices and supply-chain disruptions if US President-elect Donald Trump follows through on plans to slap tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada.

 

"Shipments will likely resume incrementally after the New Year, with full resumption of live animal movements sometime after that," Dr. Rosemary Sifford, USDA's chief veterinary officer, said in a statement.

 

Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programmes, previously told Reuters that some imports may resume as soon as this month.

 

"We could have some (imports) certainly before the holidays," Moffitt said in an interview, and more in January.

 

The USDA is tapping US$165 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation to bolster the fight against screwworm in Mexico and Central America, Moffitt said. It approved US$109.8 million last year.

 

The US is working to block the pest that has spread through Central America as it can infest livestock, wildlife, and in rare cases, people.

 

Mexico identified screwworm in a cow in a southern state near the Guatemalan border in November, prompting Washington to halt imports.

 

To resume shipments, Mexico must set up USDA-approved holding pens where inspectors will check and treat Mexican cattle for screwworm before they cross the border, Moffitt said. USDA will start inspecting Mexico's pens soon, she added.

 

"While the United States continues to work very closely with Mexico and has agreed to protocols, it will take some time to implement these due to multiple steps needed to resume trade," Sifford said.

 

US meat companies and cattle feeders are eager for trading to restart after drought slashed the nation's herd to its smallest size in decades.

 

"They're just holding their breath right now," said Ron Gill, a Texas A&M University livestock specialist.

 

- Reuters