Overview
- The Metapa sterile‑fly production plant in Chiapas began operations on June 28 and has received initial breeding material to establish a colony for later releases.
- Officials say the facility will supplement Panama’s Pacora output and aim to scale to about 100 million sterile flies per week by the end of 2026 to overwhelm the pest’s reproduction.
- President Claudia Sheinbaum announced releases will start in Tamaulipas and disperse southward, with authorities estimating the first transferable batches ready in roughly three weeks and early production results by late July.
- The U.S. has kept its border closed to Mexican cattle for a year, which the livestock council says cost exports of about 1.7 million head and roughly $2.5 billion in lost foreign income.
- Researchers and industry disagree on whether full eradication is realistic given current animal movement, limited personnel and budgets, and about 1,953 active cases reported on July 6, so success will hinge on scale‑up, tighter surveillance and controls on illegal cattle movement.