The United States will halt imports of live cattle, horses, and bison across the southern border due to the spread of the New World screwworm in Mexico, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on May 11.
In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the decision was made following the detection of screwworm on remote farms as far north as Oaxaca and Veracruz, about 700 miles from the U.S. border.
“The protection of our animals and safety of our nation’s food supply is a national security issue of the utmost importance,” she said. “This is not about politics or punishment of Mexico, rather it is about food and animal safety.”…