As USDA approaches the one-month mark since reopening the Douglas, AZ, land port to Mexican cattle, New Mexico officials are preparing to reopen their own port, the Santa Teresa livestock port of entry, according to the state’s top ag official.
New Mexico Commissioner of Agriculture Jeff Witte told DTN at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) meeting on Sept. 15 that his agency and the state’s Livestock Board have learned from the Douglas site reopening last month and are now preparing for their own reopening.
At full capacity, Santa Teresa can handle between 500,000 and 700,000 head annually in both directions, Witte said.
Witte said he planned to tour and inspect the facility with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and industry representatives on Sept. 17. A roundtable was also to be held on Sept. 17.
“This is just an initial inspection,” Witte said. “If everything lines up, the target date has been announced as the 24th of September.”
In a speech at the NASDA meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16, Rollins confirmed her plans to visit the Santa Teresa livestock port on Thursday. “I’m headed to New Mexico later tonight to go as we prepare to open the second port … I think what you all (Arizona) have proved over the last 20-plus days in Douglas is that this is manageable and doable.”
After Rollins visited the port on Thursday, she confirmed the planned Sept. 24 opening date.
Witte said the Santa Teresa facility is installing cattle identification technology and working with the Cattlemen’s Union of Chihuahua, which operates on both sides of the border, as well as USDA, to prepare.
USDA has said it is taking a phased approach to reopening southern border ports for livestock trade following extended closures tied to New World screwworm (NWS) concerns. The department had planned to allow 30 days of implementation before evaluating biosecurity measures and considering the next reopening. The Douglas, AZ, port of entry reopened to Mexican cattle imports on Aug. 24.
The Columbus, NM, livestock port of entry also remains closed.
In previous news releases, USDA noted, “The reopening timeline will remain flexible and may be adjusted based on Mexico’s progress in meeting Action Plan milestones and addressing critical issues.”
The initial flow of cattle at Santa Teresa will be 750 head per day, Witte said. “They’re going to start slow.”
Santa Teresa was closed to cattle since May 11, 2025, when USDA shut the crossing over concerns about the spread of NWS. — Jake Zajkowski, DTN ag policy editor
Copyright DTN, LLC. Used with permission.
