TEXAS (KXXV) — Gov. Greg Abbott, joined by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and the USDA, announced a significant step to combat New World Screwworm on Monday.
The officials held a roundtable discussion and ribbon cutting ceremony in Mission with Texas agriculture producers to discuss recent negotiations of the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty and its impacts on the Texas citrus industry.
Watch the press conference here:
"Thank you to President Trump for stepping up and doing more than any other President has ever done to enforce this treaty," Abbott said. "The urgency of it was heard at this roundtable. We have an obligation to ensure more water goes to the men and women who grow crops in our state."
Rollins emphasized the importance of reliable water deliveries from Mexico for South Texas agriculture.
"Uncertainty over water deliveries from Mexico negatively impact South Texas especially," Rollins said. "The State Department, USDA, and IBWC engaged our Mexican government counterparts to negotiate. Recent treaty negotiations have resulted in significant increases in deliveries and improvements in the reliability of the water cover. It's time to make a change, and that's what we're working to do."
The officials also discussed the passing of Proposition 4, which represents a generational investment in Texas' water infrastructure.
The Mission roundtable included Lone Star Citrus Growers President Jud Flowers, Lone Star Citrus Growers Vice President of Operations TJ Flowers, Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening, and other Texas agricultural producers.
Following the water treaty discussion, Abbott and Rollins participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of a Domestic New World Screwworm Sterile Fly Dispersal Facility in Edinburg. The facility is designed to combat the northward spread of NWS and protect American livestock.
"America is going to take care of ourselves, including dealing with the approach of screwworm as it gets closer to our border," Abbott said. "We put together the resources necessary for Texas to provide a Texas-size response to this. We thank Secretary Rollins and President Trump for stepping forward to provide the stop gap effort essential to protecting our ranchers and our wildlife."
Rollins highlighted the Trump Administration's comprehensive approach to fighting the pest.
"The Trump Administration continues to bring the full force of the federal government to fight New World Screwworm," Rollins said. "This sterile fly dispersal facility was a high priority project, and our team delivered it in record time. This new facility is a monumental achievement for our domestic preparedness efforts, but we are also diligently working to stop the spread of screwworm in Mexico, conduct extensive trapping and surveillance along the border, increase U.S. response capacity, and encourage innovative solutions. We will never stop fighting to protect American agriculture."
The Edinburg event included U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary of Marketing & Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins, Congressman Tony Gonzales, Senator Adam Hinojosa, Representative Ryan Guillen, Representative Stan Kitzman, Representative Janie Lopez, Representative Don McLaughlin, and Nate's Honey Founder Nate Sheets.
Abbott has taken several preemptive actions against the northward spread of NWS, including issuing a statewide disaster declaration to better equip the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team. The USDA is investing $750 million in a new Domestic Sterile Screwworm Production Facility. Abbott also directed the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Animal Health Commission to establish a joint Texas New World Screwworm Response Team.
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