Dozens of agriculture industry groups are calling on the USDA to establish a domestic sterile fly production facility to combat the New World screwworm (NWS).
“The undersigned organizations urge the Administration to immediately secure full federal funding and begin construction of a domestic sterile fly production facility,” the groups wrote. “We recognize that other ideas have been proposed for combating NWS, but the sterile insect technique remains the most proven, effective and science-based solution available for eradication.”
Through this technique, sterile male flies are released to mate with female flies, which then lay unfertilized eggs. Female flies mate just once in their lifetime. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service maintains the only facility in North America, which is located in Panama, and managed with Panama’s Ministry of Agriculture Development.
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