Texas Screwworm Case May Drive US Beef Prices Higher
A confirmed screwworm case in a Texas calf has heightened concerns over the U.S. cattle supply and potential beef price increases. The parasitic outbreak follows a year-long suspension of Mexican cattle imports and could cost the Texas economy an estimated 1.8 billion dollars in livestock losses.
The United States confirmed a New World screwworm case in a Texas calf on Wednesday, threatening to drive record-high beef prices even higher. The parasite, which consumes living tissue, breached biological barriers that successfully contained the species for decades. The outbreak risks further tightening a U.S. cattle supply already at multi-decade lows.
