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Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Foreign aid cuts could impact U.S. agriculture industry, advocates say
Kevin Shea, former administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at USDA (right) speaks speaks to panel of U.S. Democratic Senators. (Screenshot from livestream on Sen. Shaheen's youtube channel) Federal cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development assistance programs will hurt American farmers and the safety of their crops, said several agricultural research leaders at a forum hosted by U.S. Senate Democrats. 'These cuts are clearly problematic for our standing in the world, our leadership in the world, our security, our trade relationships,' Sen. Amy Klobuchar said. 'But it also socks us here at home.' Klobuchar of Minnesota, Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member, hosted a forum to discuss the relationship between foreign assistance programs and the U.S. agriculture market. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Through the Food for Peace program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture facilitates purchases of American crops and partners with non-governmental organizations to distribute these surplus crops to crisis areas around the world. Under the 2026 fiscal year budget request, this program will see major cuts, which may impact American farmers, forum speakers said. Additionally, the reduction of funding to agriculture innovation labs at public universities may leave U.S. crops vulnerable to future diseases. Dr. David Hughes, director of the USAID Innovation Lab on Current and Emerging Threats to Crops at Penn State University, said funding cuts impact his team's ability to study potential threats to U.S. agriculture in 'safe spaces' around the globe. His innovation lab, along with the Food Safety Program at Purdue University, the Livestock Systems Program at University of Florida and Peanut Production, a program addressing malnutrition at the University of Georgia, are among the universities that will see cuts under the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE. Hughes said his team members study threats to agriculture overseas, to 'quickly deploy' mechanisms against those threats when the time comes. One threat the team is studying is thrips, a small insect that poses a risk to the U.S. floral industry. His team uses a space in Nepal to reduce risk to local crops. Additionally, Hughes and his team at Penn State have been developing an artificial intelligence system called PlantVillage which provides advice to help farmers cope with climate change to increase the yield and profitability of their crops. He says many American and European scientists are 'decamping' to China because they fill a space of 'research excellence' left by cuts to research in the United States. 'You want to make sure if you do have an AI system giving knowledge to American farmers, you better be sure it's not a made-in-China system.' Hughes said. 'To be able to count on that institutional market that comes from food assistance is a significant benefit to the U.S. farmer,' said Thoric Cederstrom, International Food Aid representative on the U.S. Dry Bean Council. Cederstrom said he doesn't think there is any organization that 'stands ready to fill that void,' left by USAID. He argues there is 'enlightened self-interest' in the purchase of American crops from farmers to be used as aid abroad. This purchase helps in 'stabilizing demand and prices for farmers across the heartland' and 'offset the risk of unpredictable market, trade disruptions and climate variability.' The USAID programs create a market that farms can respond to to turn a profit and 'generate income that keeps their businesses active.' 'There couldn't be a worse time to lower our guard,' said Kevin Shea, former administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at USDA. 'African swine fever in the Dominican Republic, very close to our shores, very easily just one trip away from getting here. That's just one example. Foot and mouth disease, eradicated a century ago in America, is now appearing all around the world for the first time in many, many years. Another big concern for us. And screwworm has breached the barrier in Panama for many years and has made it into Mexico.' Shea says that the inspection service has lost nearly 1,300 or around 15% of the workforce has left 'in the past few months' and with the additional cuts under the FY26 budget request 'APHIS can not do its job.' Both Hughes and Shea talked about citrus greening disease, which has impacted the citrus industry in Florida as an example of the need for research and inspection programs. Sarah Charles, former assistant to the administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, said despite the cuts, the career staff left at USAID are working 'furiously' to move food kept in warehouses around that globe, 'even knowing they have been fired,' to areas in need. She also said the U.S. government response to crises, such as the 2025 Myanmar earthquake, has been 'limited' because the capacity has been 'taken offline by the Trump administration.' China showed up in a major capacity, but many of its outreach programs are through the government, so the networks built by the U.S. with non-governmental partners and civil society organizations have been 'abandoned,' Charles said. 'Food rations that could supply three and a half million people for a month are rotting in warehouses around the world because of USAID cuts,' Shaheen said. 'Sadly, people are going hungry while farmers are losing a critical buyer for their crops.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Fruit plantation area in Maharashtra goes up; exports and govt schemes boost growth
Pune: The area under fruit plantations in Maharashtra increased by 68,541 hectares, from 13.32 lakh hectares in the 2023-24 financial year to 14 lakh hectares in 2024-25, agriculture department officials said. Mango, pomegranate, guava, lemon, custard apple, coconut and fig were among the fruits that significantly pushed the area under cultivation up, a senior official from the horticulture department said. "Domestic and international markets hold good prospects for these fruits, which offer farmers a promise of good returns. State govt implemented several schemes to promote these varities and encourage farmers to switch to fruit cultivation," he added. As per data, the highest plantations in 2024-25 were recorded in Nashik division at 5,141 hectares, followed by Amravati with 5,088 hectares and Pune with 4,287 hectares. "As many as 27,292 farmers across the state received financial assistance worth Rs9,891 lakh under the govt-sponsored Bhausaheb Fundkar Falbagh Lavgad Scheme in 2024-25," another official said. Sanjay Kachole, district agriculture officer, Pune, said many farmers had earned lakhs of rupees in profits in the last few years as they could export their produce, especially banana, pomegranate and grapes, to Gulf and European countries. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 선착순! 저금리 특별지원 '최대 1억' 비대면 당일승인 상담안내! 근로자채무통합센터 더 알아보기 Undo In April, about 14 tonnes of pomegranate from Ahilyanagar district were sent to New York for the first time through commercial sea shipment. The season, which traditionally saw air freight as the primary mode of transport, shifted gears in recent weeks to embrace the cost-effective and sustainable sea freight mode. After India was granted market access by the US for pomegranate in 2023, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, in collaboration with the United States department of agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO-India), and National Research Centre for Pomegranate, Solapur, successfully conducted the trial shipment of pomegranate to the US by sea, officials said. "These steps prove decisive for farmers as they are getting foreign markets to sell their fruits at higher rates. Therefore, the number of farmers switching to fruit plantations are rising in Maharashtra," an agriculture department official said. This year, several farmers from Solapur exported banana to Gulf countries. "Private agencies have ventured into the agriculture export business. They are tapping farmers across the state," another official said. State govt has also decided to develop dedicated agri export clusters in districts. "We have decided to set up five such clusters to promote the export of mango, grapes, pomegranate and orange," the official added. Meanwhile, farmers and activists said govt needs to pay attention to the crop insurance for fruits. "Our losses are in lakhs of rupees, but state pays in thousands because it treats fruits at par with crops such as bajara, jowar, etc. It has to be changed because the capital investment in fruit plantations is almost 10 times that of other crops and vegetables," said Jitendra Bidwai, president of Grapes Association Sangh of Junnar tehsil. Govt does not provide financial assistance immediately to those growers who lost their harvest due to natural disasters, said activist Shantaram Sarvade from Khed tehsil. "As a result, several grapes and pomegranate growers in Solapur and Sangli districts had to kill their plantations in the past. This factor also needs to be considered by the authorities concerned."
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What is the New World Screwworm? Flesh-eating parasite is impacting cattle imports
The United States is halting imports of livestock from Mexico to protect U.S. livestock from a flesh-eating parasite called the New World Screwworm. The New World Screwworm, or the NWS for short, is a parasitic fly that was eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s. The fly gets its name for how its maggots feed on an animal by burrowing, or screwing, into an open wound, creating "extension damage by tearing at the hosts' tissue with sharp mouth hooks," the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service states. The import suspension was announced by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Sunday, May 11, following a detection of the flies in remote farms about 700 miles south of the Mexico-U.S. border. The suspension will be reevaluated on a "month-by-month basis," a USDA statement reads. Here's what to know about the New World Screwworm, including its past presence in the U.S. New World Screwworm: Parasite threat forces US to halt cattle imports from Mexico The New World Screwworm is a parasitic fly, about the size of a common housefly. They have orange eyes, a metallic blue or green body and three dark stripes along their backs, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The fly gets its name for the behavior of its maggots, which burrow, or screw, into an animal's open wound, feeding as they go. The New World Screwworm has sharp mouth hooks, allowing them to burrow deep into an animal's flesh. New World Screwworms can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, birds and in rare cases, people. New World Screwworms spend most of their time in forests and wooded areas but can seek animals in pastures and fields, if available. According to the USDA, flies are attracted to open wounds, even as small as a tick bite. A screwworm infestation begins when a female lays eggs near an open wound of a warm-blooded animal. Within a few hours, the eggs hatch into larvae (maggots) and burrow into the wound, eating the living flesh. After about seven days of feeding, the larvae drop to the ground, burrow into the soil and pupate, becoming an adult screwworm, according to the USDA. Flies emerge from the soil seven to 54 days later and then the cycle begins again. During a lifespan, female New World Screwworms can lay up to 3,000 eggs, the USDA states. Infected animals tend to show the following signs: Irritated behavior Head shaking Smell of decay Evidence of a fly strike Presence of fly maggots in wounds New World Screwworms can infest people, but this is rare, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People are more susceptible if they travel to areas where the flies are prevalent, including South America and the Caribbean. Though rare, symptoms of a screwworm infestation in humans includes: Unexplained skin wounds or sores that don't heal Skin wounds or sores that worsen over time Painful skin wounds or sores Bleeding from open sores Feeling larvae movement within a skin wound or sore, nose, mouth or eyes Seeing maggots around or in open sores A foul-smelling odor from the site of an infestation Secondary bacterial infections can occur and may cause fever or chills. The New World Screwworm first became a significant problem in the U.S. in 1933, after shipment of infested animals from the Southwest, according to the USDA. By the 1950s, the federal government established the Sterile Insect Technique, a method that utilized radiation to sterilize male flies. These mass-produced sterile males were released into target areas and mated with females, which resulted in unfertilized eggs, according to the USDA. By the early 1960s, Southeast producers had lost between $50-100 million because of the infestations. Fortunately, the Sterile Insect Technique was a success and New World Screwworms were officially eradicated by 1966, according to USDA. Ultimately, it cost the federal government $32 million to complete. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New World Screwworm: What is the flesh-eating parasite?
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
What is the New World Screwworm? Flesh-eating parasite is impacting cattle imports
What is the New World Screwworm? Flesh-eating parasite is impacting cattle imports The New World Screwworm was eradicated from the U.S. in 1966. Show Caption Hide Caption U.S. suspends live animal imports due to flesh-eating parasite New World screwworms have caused the U.S. to suspend all live animal imports from Mexico indefinitely. The female flies lay eggs on open wounds of warm blooded animals and the eggs hatch in a matter of hours. Fox - 10 Phoenix The United States is halting imports of livestock from Mexico to protect U.S. livestock from a flesh-eating parasite called the New World Screwworm. The New World Screwworm, or the NWS for short, is a parasitic fly that was eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s. The fly gets its name for how its maggots feed on an animal by burrowing, or screwing, into an open wound, creating "extension damage by tearing at the hosts' tissue with sharp mouth hooks," the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service states. The import suspension was announced by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Sunday, May 11, following a detection of the flies in remote farms about 700 miles south of the Mexico-U.S. border. The suspension will be reevaluated on a "month-by-month basis," a USDA statement reads. Here's what to know about the New World Screwworm, including its past presence in the U.S. New World Screwworm: Parasite threat forces US to halt cattle imports from Mexico What is the New World Screwworm? The New World Screwworm is a parasitic fly, about the size of a common housefly. They have orange eyes, a metallic blue or green body and three dark stripes along their backs, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The fly gets its name for the behavior of its maggots, which burrow, or screw, into an animal's open wound, feeding as they go. The New World Screwworm has sharp mouth hooks, allowing them to burrow deep into an animal's flesh. New World Screwworms can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, birds and in rare cases, people. How does a New World Screwworm infestation start? New World Screwworms spend most of their time in forests and wooded areas but can seek animals in pastures and fields, if available. According to the USDA, flies are attracted to open wounds, even as small as a tick bite. A screwworm infestation begins when a female lays eggs near an open wound of a warm-blooded animal. Within a few hours, the eggs hatch into larvae (maggots) and burrow into the wound, eating the living flesh. After about seven days of feeding, the larvae drop to the ground, burrow into the soil and pupate, becoming an adult screwworm, according to the USDA. Flies emerge from the soil seven to 54 days later and then the cycle begins again. During a lifespan, female New World Screwworms can lay up to 3,000 eggs, the USDA states. Infected animals tend to show the following signs: Irritated behavior Head shaking Smell of decay Evidence of a fly strike Presence of fly maggots in wounds Is the New World Screwworm a danger to humans? New World Screwworms can infest people, but this is rare, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People are more susceptible if they travel to areas where the flies are prevalent, including South America and the Caribbean. Though rare, symptoms of a screwworm infestation in humans includes: Unexplained skin wounds or sores that don't heal Skin wounds or sores that worsen over time Painful skin wounds or sores Bleeding from open sores Feeling larvae movement within a skin wound or sore, nose, mouth or eyes Seeing maggots around or in open sores A foul-smelling odor from the site of an infestation Secondary bacterial infections can occur and may cause fever or chills. When was the New World Screwworm eradicated from the US? The New World Screwworm first became a significant problem in the U.S. in 1933, after shipment of infested animals from the Southwest, according to the USDA. By the 1950s, the federal government established the Sterile Insect Technique, a method that utilized radiation to sterilize male flies. These mass-produced sterile males were released into target areas and mated with females, which resulted in unfertilized eggs, according to the USDA. By the early 1960s, Southeast producers had lost between $50-100 million because of the infestations. Fortunately, the Sterile Insect Technique was a success and New World Screwworms were officially eradicated by 1966, according to USDA. Ultimately, it cost the federal government $32 million to complete. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Screwworm threat forces US to halt cattle imports from Mexico
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she is suspending imports of livestock through the Mexican border on a "month-by-month basis" to protect U.S. cattle from the threat of a dangerous, flesh-eating parasite infestation. The parasite is the New World Screwworm, or NWS, which is actually a fly and was eradicated in the U.S. almost 60 years ago. The Agriculture Department said in a statement May 11 that NWS was recently detected in remote Mexican farms within 700 miles of the U.S. border. The statement cited "unacceptable northward advancement of NWS" and said additional action must be taken. "Due to the threat of New World Screwworm I am announcing the suspension of live cattle, horse and bison imports through U.S. southern border ports of entry effective immediately," Rollins said in a social media post. "The last time this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle industry to recover. This cannot happen again." Mexico's agricultural council chief, Luis Fernando Haro, said the ban is unnecessary and "does not the solve the problem." He said established protocols already ensure that cattle crossing into the U.S. are "guaranteed to be free of screwworms." Mexican Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegue said he disagreed with the ban but hoped the two countries would reach an agreement soon. Rollins called the protection of U.S. animals and the safety of the nation's food supply "a national security issue of the utmost importance." When increased surveillance and eradication efforts begin showing positive results, the border will reopen for livestock trade, she said. "This is not about politics or punishment of Mexico, rather it is about food and animal safety," Rollins said. The Agriculture Department eradicated the NWS parasite in 1966 by releasing sterile male flies and pupae to eventually lead to infertile screwworm flies, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. In November 2024, America halted imports of Mexican livestock after the country alerted the U.S. to a NWS detection in a cow at an inspection checkpoint close to the Mexico border with Guatemala. Subsequently, the USDA increased sterile fly deliveries and supported additional surveillance programs, which led to livestock imports restarting in February this year. Relations became strained last month, however, when Mexico authorities began curtailing seven-day flights of USDA planes dispersing sterile flies and imposing import duties on "critical aviation parts, dispersal equipment and sterile fly shipments," Rollins said in a letter to Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Mexico's ambassador to the U.S. Mexico temporarily avoided the ban by reaching a deal to allow additional flights and waive custom duties. The parasite gets its name from how the larvae's resulting maggots, which as they feed on an animal will burrow, or screw, into a wound or opening, creating "extensive damage by tearing at the hosts' tissue with sharp mouth hooks," USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says. Adult screwworm flies are similar to – or slightly larger than – the common housefly, but they have orange eyes, a metallic blue or green body and three dark stripes along their backs. NWS does not regularly occur or spread in the United States but is typically found in South America and the Caribbean. People who travel to these areas, spend time among livestock animals, sleep outdoors and have an open wound are at greater risk of becoming infected with NWS. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Screwworm threat forces US to halt cattle imports from Mexico
