FORT WORTH, Texas (April 17, 2026) — Stephen Diebel, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association president, alongside U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, U.S. Senator John Cornyn and Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz, today attended the groundbreaking of the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) sterile fly production facility at Moore Airfield Base.
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association was well represented at the announcement and communicated the association’s support for the facility and the importance of protecting the U.S. beef herd.
“Ensuring the United States has the tools to combat New World screwworm is essential,” Diebel said. “As Texans and cattle producers, we applaud the commitment from the Trump Administration for the sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Airfield Base, which reinforces our ability to defend herd health, food security and the economy from the consequences of an incursion.”
The production facility, a critical piece to USDA’s sweeping five-pronged plan, was provided funding by the Trump Administration in June 2025. Since then, the fly has continued its northward migration out of Central America with the northernmost case detected 90 miles south of the Texas-Mexico border. The facility will be capable of producing up to 300 million sterile flies per week.
“Expanding sterile fly production through the right resources, infrastructure and coordination has remained a key priority for the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association,” Diebel said. “We are committed to supporting federal actions to combat this threat and appreciate the leadership of Secretary Rollins and the entire Trump Administration in addressing the needs of Texas and U.S. agriculture.”
This February, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association participated in the grand opening of the dispersal facility at Moore Airfield Base. Currently, USDA-APHIS is releasing approximately eight million sterile flies along Texas’ southern border. Building and expanding facilities in Texas and Mexico is critical as the strategy is not only to push the pest south but to fully eradicate.
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