US reopens New Mexico livestock port after yearlong screwworm closure

• The main U.S.- Mexico livestock inspection entry point in Santa Teresa, New Mexico , will reopen on Thursday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture halted trade last year to contain the New World screwworm.
• Industry experts caution that the reopening will not quickly lower record-high beef prices because imported cattle take five to eight months to reach slaughter weight, while prolonged drought has reduced US cattle stocks to a 75-year low.
• Rising food costs continue to drive economic concerns ahead of the November midterm elections, where President Donald Trump has attempted to lower retail prices through low-tariff imports and an official probe into meatpackers.
• Under updated USDA safety protocols, daily cattle imports through Santa Teresa will be restricted to between 750 and 1,600 animals, down from historical peaks of roughly 3,000 animals per day.
• Agricultural officials express confidence in resuming trade due to enhanced port inspections, minimal domestic screwworm infestations, and ongoing USDA releases of sterile flies to suppress wild pest populations.

IN FULL

US is reopening its biggest livestock inspection port at the border, expanding America’s cattle supplies