U.S. Ban on Live Cattle Imports Pushes Mexican Ranchers into Crisis Amid Screwworm Outbreak and Drought

In the hard-hit cattle farming region of Sonora, Mexico, rancher Martin Ibarra Vargas faces an unprecedented double blow from both natural and economic forces. After two years of relentless drought, he had hoped to revitalize his family’s livelihood by exporting calves across the U.S.-Mexico border. However, this plan has been derailed due to a temporary ban on live cattle imports by American agriculture officials, citing concerns over the New World Screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that poses a significant threat to livestock and food supply chains.

For generations, Ibarra Vargas’ family has tended to their herds on the parched soil of Sonora, a state sharing a long border with Arizona. Though they have faced droughts before, this time they must also grapple with the economic impact of a new menace.

In July, the USDA halted live cattle imports across the border for the third time in eight months due to the presence of the screwworm, which can invade an animal’s skin, causing severe damage and potentially fatal lesions. The ban extends to horse and bison imports as well, dealing a heavy blow to an industry already struggling with drought and reduced exports.

The USDA considers the New World Screwworm a “devastating pest” and has taken measures to prevent its spread into the United States, which successfully eradicated it decades ago. Part of this strategy involves breeding billions of sterile flies and releasing them in Mexico and southern Texas, hoping that these sterile males will mate with wild females, preventing offspring from being produced.

The ban on live cattle imports has forced Ibarra Vargas to reconsider his farming strategies. With exports earning far more than domestic sales, the loss of this income has left him exploring alternative revenue streams like beekeeping, raising sheep, and selling cow’s milk. Although these endeavors bring in significantly less profit, they are helping him weather the tough times.

“Tiempos de vacas flacas”—times of lean cows—Ibarra Vargas calls them. Despite the challenges, he remains determined to continue ranching, wearing his white cowboy hat with pride.

As the screwworm continues its northward march, ranchers in Sonora are taking proactive steps to protect their herds. Simultaneously, they are seeking new markets due to the ban on exports to the United States. In the past two months alone, they have sold over 35,000 mature cows within Mexico at a significant loss.

Juan Carlos Ochoa, president of the Sonora Regional Cattle Union, laments that these sales came at a “35% lower price difference compared with the export value of a cow.” The situation is particularly painful given rising beef prices in the United States.

With over 2,258 cases of screwworm identified in Mexico since last November, many ranchers have turned to retail beef sales through high-end butcher shops known as “meat boutiques” as a means to salvage their profits. However, selling vacuum-sealed steaks across the Pacific is a vastly different business than driving calves to U.S. feedlots, making the transition challenging.

Ibarra Vargas, with his calves mooing in a small corral, is still grappling with how he will survive an extended period without the US market for his livestock. The recent drought has depleted his herd and forced him into debt to keep his family’s centuries-old ranch afloat.

Juan Carlos Anaya, director of Agricultural Markets Consulting Group, attributes a 2% drop in Mexico’s cattle inventory last year to the drought. As the clock ticks, Mexican ranchers who export are trying to convince American authorities to distinguish between southern Mexico and northern states where stricter health and sanitation measures are implemented. However, the damage has already been done, and time is running out for those whose ranches may not be able to sustain the lean times without access to the US market.