REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- The movement of New World screwworm (NWS) northward in Mexico shut down the U.S.-Mexico border to live cattle trade in July 2025. The closure has greatly affected some feedyards in Texas that rely on Mexican cattle to fill their lots.

Mark Rogers, owner of Rogers and Sons, Ltd. Custom Cattle Feeders in Dimmitt, Texas, has fed Mexican cattle for over 25 years. For the past 15 years, the imported cattle have taken up 90% to 95% of his feedyard. "The border closure affects us tremendously. It has always made sense for us to feed Mexican cattle because we are one of the first feedlots they pass after going through Santa Teresa (port of entry) at the border," Rogers said.

The border closure has lowered his cattle number to 70% of the feedyard's capacity compared to a year ago. Rogers said he's not the only feedyard suffering, as many neighboring cattle feeders are dealing with the same issue.

Omar Gonzalez, Rogers' cattle broker across the border in Mexico said they are suffering as well. "Screwworm isn't a problem up here in the Northern Plains of Mexico and now we are having to find a place to put these cattle that normally go to the U.S.," he said.

According to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Mexican cattle imports to the U.S. in 2025 totaled 230,638 head compared to 998,763 head year to date in 2024. Gonzalez said the excess cattle in Mexico have created challenges of where to send them because of limited facilities. "It's a real problem. Farmers here are having to sell their cattle at half the price they typically would because there's just nowhere to go with them," he said. "They are keeping cattle as long as they can in hopes that some spots will open at feedyards."

He said the only ones benefiting from the overflow of cattle in Mexico are the packers; they have higher-quality meat to market to countries like Japan and China, and are even sending meat to the U.S.

NWS MOVES CLOSER

The detection of NWS on Sept. 21 in Nuevo Leon was confirmed by Mexico's National Service of Agro-Ailmentary Public Health, Safety, and Quality to be less than 70 miles from the U.S. border. Gonzalez said most of the cattle that move from Mexico to the U.S. are farther to the north and west in the states of Chihuahua and Sonora. Where NWS has been a problem in Mexico, he said, is hotter and more tropical. Gonzalez added, not all Mexican states can send cattle to the U.S., and the areas dealing with NWS don't move cattle that far north.

"We've been using Ivomec on the cattle in northern Mexico for a long time to treat the flies, plus we will usually freeze (temperature) by the middle to end of October and then the flies are gone, and we don't have to worry about them again until May," he added.

There is a fear among Texas and Mexican cattle producers that the border may never open. If that occurs, Gonzalez expects his country's government to help build facilities to increase packing capacity. "It's expensive for us to feed cattle in Chihuahua. We do see some corn grown there, but not enough for this many more cattle," he explained.

Frank Welch has cared for the cattle that have come across the border headed to Rogers' feedyard for many years. Typically, he will look after nearly 3,000 head of grass-fed cattle at a time that are sent to the West Texas range to grow before going back to the feedyard. "This year I've only had a few hundred. Mark (Rogers) has had to find other cattle to run out here," Welch said.

Rogers and Welch agree the Mexican cattle are hearty and acclimate well to the Texas environment. They have few health problems, even in the small calves that were sent across when the border was open for a short time earlier in the year.

BORDER CLOSURE CREATES UNCERTAINTY

The decrease in cattle coming to the U.S. not only affects the feedyards but many others in the industry. Those who find themselves out of a job include truckers, employees at the ports of entry and those who help expedite getting the cattle to the border on the Mexican side and to the feedyards on the U.S. side.

"I really don't know if we will ever get back to normal business down here in the Southern Plains feedlots. And I'm not sure what I will do or my neighbors (will do) if the border doesn't reopen," Rogers added.

"We have sent cattle across the border for over 200 years. There are generations and generations that have been doing this. We dealt with screwworm years ago and fought it, and we can again," Gonzalez said. "It seems to have gotten political this time. They (both governments) are just playing games."

He said fly traps were set at his feedyards in northwest Mexico and all the flies that were captured tested negative for NWS. "The border closes, opens, closes, opens and then closes again. Every time it has moved the market," he added.

Rogers hopes it doesn't last too long because the Texas Panhandle is already suffering. "In the Hereford (Texas) area, beef is king. We need more cattle in the feedyards to help the grain companies and the packers, too. This will affect everyone and will end up costing the consumer," he concluded.

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

Follow her on social platform X @JennCattleGal

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