Thursday, June 04, 2026

Not Now, Screwworm

You can't necessarily attribute everything to Trump-era incompetence and their general rejection of the basic functions of government, but I suspect it's a contributing factor here!
A flesh-eating parasite that had been kept out of U.S. livestock for decades has been detected in Texas, threatening the nation’s cattle industry and food supply at a time when prices are already high.

The case of New World screwworm was confirmed in a 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, near the U.S.-Mexico border, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said late Wednesday.
"For months" hmmm that doesn't sound like he means Sleepy Joe's USDA. It follows months of warnings from U.S. and Texas agriculture officials and cattle industry leaders, as the pest steadily moved north through Mexico toward the American border.

“For months, the screwworm has advanced rapidly through Mexico in spite of the USDA’s existing gameplan,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said Wednesday, adding that “instead of using every available tool, USDA moved too slowly and relied solely on a partial solution that takes years to fully implement.”
When the Republican Texas Ag Commissioner can't even clearly put the blame where it should belong - on Sleepy Joe! - something important has happened!

Our big beautiful ranchers!