USDA battling the cattle fever tick

Back in December, the Texas Animal Health Commission confirmed the presence of cattle fever ticks in Live Oak County. That led to more than 500,000 acres in Texas to be under fever tick quarantines. State and federal animal control officials say the outbreak of fever ticks is a troubling and costly burden for ranchers, government agencies, and the cattle industry. The Department of Agriculture has allocated an additional $3.7 million to be added to an already existing $8.5 million in funds to combat the spread of the cattle fever tick in South Texas. KRISTV talked to Joe Paschal, Extension livestock specialist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Corpus Christi about the threat. Read more…