President Claudia Sheinbaum and US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins inaugurated a sterile fly production plant in Metapa de Domínguez, Chiapas, to combat the screwworm parasite.
The plant, funded by the United States with an investment of 83.8 million dollars, will produce up to 100 million sterile flies per week. These flies will be released to mate with wild ones and break the reproduction cycle of the parasite that affects livestock.
Sheinbaum highlighted cooperation among Mexico, the United States and Panama, and stated that the bilateral relationship must be based on mutual respect, dialogue and sovereignty. Rollins called Sheinbaum an “extraordinary ally” and emphasized that the issue goes beyond agriculture to become a matter of food security.
Since November 2024, Chiapas has accumulated 7,123 screwworm cases. Authorities have inspected 5.3 million cattle heads and released nearly 7 billion sterile flies as part of the binational strategy.
