1. Wisconsin grants waiver, suspending swine testing and movement restrictions
By Larry Lee
BrownfieldAgNews
March 6, 2026
Kari Retallick with the Wisconsin Pork Association says Wisconsin was the only state with this requirement, and getting the waiver to eliminate testing and associated fees before show season was important. "They no longer have to have that extra testing so that will help with the economic burden that that swine health rule had provided."
Retallick says they worked with state animal health officials to show the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) rule wasn't having any positive impact on swine health, and State Veterinarian Dr. Darlene Konkel granted the waiver.
The permanent rule eliminating the extra testing and fees is expected to be finalized later this summer.
2. USDA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Advance New World Screwworm Preparedness with New Texas Sterile Fly Facility Contract
Partnership with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Ensures Engineering Excellence and Operational Effectiveness
USDA
March 9, 2026
(Washington, D.C., March 9, 2026) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) today announced a construction contract with Mortenson Construction to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. This facility is a key component in Secretary Rollins' sweeping 5-prong strategy (PDF, 1005 KB) to fight New World Screwworm (NWS), as it will expand USDA's domestic response capacity, bolstering protection for U.S. livestock, wildlife, and public health.
USACE is partnering with USDA and will provide oversight for the contract, design, engineering, and construction of the facility.
"The Army Corps of Engineers is an essential partner in bringing this facility to life and further highlights the Trump Administration's government wide effort to fight the New World Screwworm threat in Mexico," said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. "The Army Corps is the best in the business and their engineering expertise and proven track record in delivering complex projects will help ensure we can build a modern, resilient facility that protects American agriculture from invasive pests for decades to come. This first of its kind facility on U.S. soil will ensure we are not reliant on other countries for sterile flies."
"For more than 250 years, USACE has helped secure America by engineering solutions to our nation's toughest challenges. We are proud to be partnering with USDA in the construction of the Sterile Fly Facility, a critical investment in our nation's future agricultural, public and economic health. Combining our engineering expertise with USDA's mission expertise brings us one step closer to alleviating this biological threat," said Lt. Gen. William H. "Butch" Graham, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commanding general.
A sterile fly production facility is a specialized biosecure complex where New World Screwworm flies are raised and sterilized using irradiation and then released into targeted areas. Female New World Screwworm flies only mate once in their lives, so if they mate with a sterile male, they lay unfertilized eggs that don't hatch. This method, known as the Sterile Insect Technique, has been a cornerstone of proven screwworm eradication efforts for decades and is recognized worldwide as a highly effective, environmentally responsible approach to insect control. Sterile Insect Technique, when paired with surveillance, animal movement restrictions, and education and outreach, is a proven and effective tool for controlling and eradicating New World Screwworm.
USDA currently produces about 100 million sterile flies per week at the COPEG facility in Panama and disperses them within and just north of affected areas in Mexico. In addition to the COPEG facility in Panama, USDA invested $21 million to support Mexico's renovation of an existing fruit fly facility in Metapa, which will double NWS production capacity once complete. With ongoing support from APHIS technical experts, Mexico anticipates sterile fly production will begin at this facility in summer 2026. The new facility at Moore Air Base will be the only U.S.-based sterile fly production facility and will work in tandem with facilities in Panama and Mexico to help eradicate the pest and protect American agriculture.
USDA and USACE will break ground on this new facility later this spring, after initial planning and development meetings with the new contractor. By November 2027, the production facility at Moore Air Base is expected to reach its initial goal of producing 100 million sterile flies per week. After that, construction will continue at the facility to increase production with the long-term goal of producing 300 million sterile flies per week.
Full text: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAOC/bulletins/40d675c
3. Vaccination Time: Spring Check-Ups For Horses
Spring shots should be administered mid-March to mid-April to ensure immunity is boosted before likely exposure to insect and animal vectors.
Paulick Report
March 5, 2026
When the clock springs forward to signal a change in the seasons, your horse's vaccinations records need an update to help protect against potentially fatal equine diseases.
For adult horses, "spring shots" should be performed mid-March to mid-April to make sure immunity is boosted before likely exposure to insect and animal vectors.
A standard vaccination program for all horses does not exist. Each individual situation requires evaluation based on the following criteria: risk of infection, consequences of the disease, anticipated effectiveness, potential for severe adverse reactions to vaccines, and cost of immunization versus potential cost of disease. The timing of the vaccination is critical to ensure the horse's immune system peaks during the highest risk period for the disease exposure.
Full text: https://paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/vaccination-time-spring-check-ups-for-horses
4. Texas Feedlot Operators Explain Why U.S. Beef Supply Depends on Mexican Cattle Imports
By Tony St. James, Marion Kirkpatrick, David Nelson
RFDTV.com
March 6, 2026
LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) - Mexican livestock officials are highlighting strict disease surveillance and inspection systems in northern border states as they work to reassure U.S. regulators and cattle producers that feeder cattle exports entering American feedlots meet international animal health standards.
Technical briefs circulated by livestock organizations in Chihuahua and Sonora outline multi-layer biosecurity programs designed to prevent the spread of livestock diseases such as New World Screwworm and cattle fever ticks. The documents describe export corridors along the U.S.-Mexico border where cattle must pass several inspections before entering the United States.
Under those protocols, cattle are inspected at their ranch of origin, again at a pre-export quarantine facility, and finally by veterinarians at export stations where treatments such as ivermectin injections and tick dips are administered. Animals are also required to carry electronic identification and official export ear tags to ensure traceability through the supply chain.
5. Eight county farm bureaus offer large animal rescue training for first responders [IL]
Course at Black Hawk College March 28 teaches emergency response techniques
By Kate SantillanShawLocal.com
March 7, 2026
The Bureau, Marshall-Putnam, Mercer, Henry, Warren-Henderson, Stark, Rock Island and Peoria county farm bureaus will offer an eight-hour large animal rescue course for area first responders at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 28, at Black Hawk College's east campus, 26230 Black Hawk Road, Galva.
It might sound fanciful, but it works, according to an urban wildlife specialist at Cummings School of Veterinary MedicineMarch 28, at Black Hawk College's east campus, 26230 Black Hawk Road, Galva.
The course is designed to provide Illinois emergency first responders with operations-level information on large animal rescues.
The first responders include sheriff departments, emergency medical services, fire departments, police departments, forest preserve officers and the Department of Natural Resources. Participants will receive a course completion certificate.
Full text: https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/2026/03/07/eight-county-farm-bureaus-offer-large-animal-rescue-training-for-first-responders/
6. Too Many Deer in Your Area? Birth Control Could Help
It might sound fanciful, but it works, according to an urban wildlife specialist at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
By Saima Sidik
Tufts Now
March 4, 2026
Populations of suburban deer have been on the rise across the U.S. for the last 50 years. Suburban landscapes are like buffet tables with their plentiful lawns, shrubs, and gardens that tempt the animals into human territory.
But in many places-like Tennessee, Ohio, Maryland, Iowa, North Carolina, and Delaware-deer have become problematic. They cause traffic accidents, disrupt yards and flora, damage crops, and contribute to the spread of Lyme disease by hosting the ticks that carry the bacteria. In Massachusetts, for example, deer-related traffic accidents have gone up by 50% over the last 10 years, prompting calls for action.
For more than 30 years, Rutberg has been working on an alternative: Using birth control to reduce deer populations in suburbs. And in a 2024 study published in the journal Human-Wildlife Interactions, he and his colleagues suggest that this method is a feasible way of keeping suburban deer in check.
Full text: https://now.tufts.edu/2026/03/04/too-many-deer-your-area-birth-control-could-help