April 17, 20256:
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and Lieutenant General William H. “Butch” Graham, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) commanding general, led the groundbreaking for the new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, on Friday (April 17, 2026)
USDA is partnering with USACE to construct this facility, which is a cornerstone of Secretary Rollins’ five-pronged strategy to combat New World Screwworm (NWS), expanding the nation’s domestic capacity to protect livestock, wildlife, and public health from this serious pest.
“Breaking ground on this facility marks a major investment in safeguarding America’s livestock and the producers who feed this nation. This puts NWS sterile fly production in American hands, so we do not have to rely on other countries for the best offensive measure to push screwworm away from our borders,” said Secretary Rollins. “The New World Screwworm threatens the health of our herds, the stability of rural economies, and the resilience of our supply chain. President Trump and his entire cabinet is committed to leveraging every resource necessary to contain this pest, protect American agriculture, and ensure the long-term security of our food supply chain.”
“Our mission at USACE is to deliver engineering solutions, with our partners, to secure our Nation, strengthen our economy, and reduce disaster risk,” said LTG Graham. “That’s why we’re proud to deliver an engineering solution to the New World Screwworm, which represents a direct threat to our nation’s livestock, our food security, and our economy. This new, modern facility is the critical infrastructure we need to secure a defensive line against the New World Screwworm for generations to come.”
“The work here today would not be possible without the hardworking Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) employees here at USDA. Our partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers is essential, and we are deeply grateful for their unwavering commitment,” said Under Secretary Hoskins. “Together, we are building a modern, resilient capability right here at home—one designed to safeguard U.S. agriculture by countering this threat with speed, scale, and scientific precision.”
USACE is providing engineering, design, construction management, and contract oversight for the project, ensuring the facility meets the highest standards for biosecurity, reliability, and long‑term operational readiness.
The new facility is being built with an aggressive timeline designed to quickly expand the nation’s sterile fly production capacity:
- Initial operational capability targeted for November 2027, reaching production of 100 million sterile flies per week.
- Construction continues immediately beyond initial operations to scale full production capacity to 300 million sterile flies per week.
- USDA and USACE have slashed red tape, securing expedited procurement, and eliminating other barriers.
- Together, USDA and USACE will oversee installation, and commissioning of specialized systems that will make this facility operable on time, delivering the critical sterile flies we need to continue to defeat this pest.
This aggressive schedule reflects USDA’s commitment to protecting America’s producers. A sterile fly production facility plays a crucial role in NWS prevention and response. In a biosecure environment, NWS flies are raised and sterilized using irradiation before being released in targeted areas. Because female screwworm flies mate only once, mating with sterile males results in eggs that do not hatch. Sterile insect technique, paired with surveillance, animal movement restrictions, and education and outreach, has been the foundation of successful screwworm eradication efforts for decades; USDA has defeated this pest before and using these proven methods, USDA will do so again.
This new state-of-the-art facility will complement USDA’s ongoing production of 100 million sterile flies per week at the Panama-based COPEG facility. USDA has also invested $21 million to support modernization of Mexico’s Metapa, MX facility, expected to be operational in summer 2026.
Once fully operational, this expanded production network will provide the speed, scale, and domestic capability needed to rapidly counter any NWS threat—reducing risks to producers, protecting animal health, and strengthening the resilience of America’s livestock industry.
For more information about New World Screwworm and USDA’s prevention efforts, visit Screwworm.gov.
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March 9, 2026:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a construction contract (March 9, 2026) to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. This facility is a key component in Secretary Rollins’ sweeping 5-prong strategy to fight New World Screwworm (NWS), as it will expand USDA’s domestic response capacity, bolstering protection for U.S. livestock, wildlife, and public health.
USACE is partnering with USDA and will provide oversight for the contract, design, engineering, and construction of the facility.
A sterile fly production facility is a specialized biosecure complex where New World Screwworm flies are raised and sterilized using irradiation and then released into targeted areas. Female New World Screwworm flies only mate once in their lives, so if they mate with a sterile male, they lay unfertilized eggs that don’t hatch. This method, known as the Sterile Insect Technique, has been a cornerstone of proven screwworm eradication efforts for decades and is recognized worldwide as a highly effective, environmentally responsible approach to insect control. Sterile Insect Technique, when paired with surveillance, animal movement restrictions, and education and outreach, is a proven and effective tool for controlling and eradicating New World Screwworm.
USDA currently produces about 100 million sterile flies per week at the COPEG facility in Panama and disperses them within and just north of affected areas in Mexico. In addition to the COPEG facility in Panama, USDA invested $21 million to support Mexico’s renovation of an existing fruit fly facility in Metapa, which will double NWS production capacity once complete. With ongoing support from APHIS technical experts, Mexico anticipates sterile fly production will begin at this facility in summer 2026. The new facility at Moore Air Base will be the only U.S.-based sterile fly production facility and will work in tandem with facilities in Panama and Mexico to help eradicate the pest and protect American agriculture.
USDA and USACE will break ground on this new facility later this spring, after initial planning and development meetings with the new contractor. By November 2027, the production facility at Moore Air Base is expected to reach its initial goal of producing 100 million sterile flies per week. After that, construction will continue at the facility to increase production with the long-term goal of producing 300 million sterile flies per week.
The New World Screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on warm blooded animals, causing severe animal health impacts and significant economic losses if not controlled. The United States eliminated the pest in 1966 and has maintained that freedom through the ongoing sterile fly program and international partnerships.
USACE, a command within the U.S. Army, is one of the world’s premier public engineering, design, and construction management organizations. With more than 35,000 employees worldwide, USACE delivers engineering solutions in support of military construction, water resources infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and federal agency partnerships. USACE provides engineering expertise to strengthen national security, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risk.
For more information about NWS and USDA’s efforts, visit Screwworm.gov.
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