Continued detection of New World Screwworm in southern Mexico, farther north than initially, prompted the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to reclose the US border to imports of livestock from there.
The border closed initially last November and reopened in early February after additional protocols and inspections were implemented.
So, 197,844 head of feeder cattle were imported since the border reopened, down 60% year over year, said Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Derrell Peel, in a letter called Cow-Calf Corner. In 2024, 1.25 million feeder cattle were imported, with none in the last five weeks of the year.
COOPERATION TO CONTINUE
USDA-APHIS and Mexican officials are, and will continue to, cooperate in monitoring and detection of NWS and in the release of sterile NWS flies, the primary means of controlling the spread of the pest, Peel said.
NWS was eradicated in the US in 1966 and, in cooperation with Mexico, the sterile fly program established a boundary at the southern Mexico border, later extended south to Panama, he said.
However, over the past two years, NWS has moved north through Central America and again into southern Mexico, Peel said. The US and Mexico have been working to ramp up the sterile fly program since November.
The USDA-APHIS has said disease metrics will be evaluated regularly, and the border closure will remain in place until progress is made in containing and controlling NWS in Mexico.
MEXICO’S ONGOING STRUGGLES
Mexico continues to struggle with challenges in addition to NWS, most notably severe drought in the northwest part of the country, especially in the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango and Coahuila, with marginal drought extending farther south into Zacatecas and the Bajio, Peel said.
In 2024, nearly 38% of feeder cattle imports were spayed heifers, an unusually high heifer percentage that was attributed to drought liquidation, he said.
Since the border opened in February, 35% of feeder cattle imports have been heifers, Peel said. Most of these heifers were likely spayed last fall in anticipation of exporting but were unable to because of the border closure from November to February.
Any remaining backlogged heifers that were spayed prior to November will not be able to cross now before the six-month clock expires for export of those spayed heifers, he said. Drought liquidation is likely continuing in Mexico.
A market advisor said many of the feeder cattle that would have come to the US during the time when the border was closed were absorbed into the Mexican feeding system and are not backed up awaiting their turn to cross to a US feedlot.
CTTLE, BEEF RECAP
The USDA reported formula and contract base prices for live FOB steers and heifers this week ranged from $219.93 per cwt to $222.20, compared with last week’s range of $220.35 to $227.53 per cwt. FOB dressed steers, and heifers went for $349.88 per cwt to $350.81, compared with $342.45 to $357.95.
The USDA choice cutout Monday was up $2.32 per cwt at $354.81 while select was up $1.72 at $344.11. The choice/select spread widened to $10.70 from $10.10 with 47 loads of fabricated product and 25 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.
The USDA-listed the weighted average wholesale price for fresh 90% lean beef was $377.97 per cwt, and 50% beef was $119.05.
The USDA said basis bids for corn from feeders in the Southern Plains were unchanged at $1.15 to $1.25 a bushel over the Jul corn contract, which settled at $4.47 1/2, up $0.04.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Friday was $298.86 per cwt, down $1.93. This compares with Monday’s May contract settlement of $295.67, down $1.17.