The Texas Construction News staff writer
EDINBURG – In a coordinated effort to safeguard the U.S. livestock economy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) broke ground April 17 on a sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base.
The $36 million project serves as a strategic defense against the New World screwworm (NWS), a devastating parasite. Upon its projected completion in November 2027, the facility will initially produce 100 million sterile male flies weekly, with a biological capacity to surge to 300 million.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins emphasized that domesticating this production is essential for national agricultural biosecurity and reduces reliance on vulnerable international supply chains.
