PORTLAND, Tx — A Portland meat market owner says the industry has been preparing for the parasite's return for two years and that current detections should not trigger panic buying.
Clayton Saunders, owner of Clayton's Meat Market in Portland, says the recent detection of new world screwworm cases in South Texas did not catch the industry off guard.
"The screwworm's at the infant stages right now. The ranchers and the Texas Animal Health Commission have been real diligent in being on the forefront of it. We knew this was coming already for a couple of years, so it didn't take us by surprise like it did in the early 60s with the early cattle ranchers," Saunders said.
Despite growing concerns over the parasite, Saunders says it has not caused meat prices to rise. He warns that consumer behavior poses a greater risk to the market than the screwworm itself.
"What's going to affect it more is people panicking," Saunders said.
While consumers have not rushed to buy meat, Saunders says many ranchers have already been making tough decisions about their herds.
"We've seen a dramatic decline in cattle processing in our local slaughterhouse because the cattle have been sold, have been removed, have been transported," Saunders said.
He says years of drought had already strained the region's cattle industry, and the spread of the new world screwworm is compounding that pressure.
"Now the screw worm coming right behind it, right when we're recovering from a drought, hopefully we're getting average rainfall now. It's just, it's a very deadly 1, 2 punch for cattle ranchers and wildlife people as well," Saunders said.
One of the biggest concerns is feral hogs, which can carry screwworms across rivers and county lines, making the parasite more difficult to contain.
Saunders says Clayton's Meat Market is prepared as they recently completed a mobile harvesting system that will allow them to go directly to farmers and ranchers. He adds that if an animal is positive for screwworm, that doesn't mean the meat is bad.
"That just means the infected area is the affected area," Saunders said. "As long as you get to the animal in a timely fashion, we can still harvest that animal, still turn it into something that's edible for the consumer instead of it being a total loss."
He explained the main thing is damage control and being proactive.
Early detection, prompt treatment and proper inspections also help protect the food supply, he added. His advice to consumers is to support local farmers and ranchers and avoid panic buying.
"Just help the farmer and rancher shop local, don't go into panic mode. Don't go, you know, COVID on us again and wipe out the shelves all at once," Saunders said.
Saunders recommends consumers stay informed by following updates from state and federal officials as they continue responding to the screwworm situation.
A Portland meat market owner says the industry has been preparing for the parasite’s return for the past two years and says current detections should not trigger panic buying.
Clayton Saunders, owner of Clayton's Meat Market, says the recent detection of New World screwworm cases in South Texas did not catch the industry off guard.
"The screwworm is in the infant stages right now," Saunders said. "The ranchers and the Texas Animal Health Commission have been real diligent and on the forefront of it. We knew this was coming already for a couple of years, so it didn't take us by surprise like it did in the early '60s with the early cattle ranchers."
Despite growing concerns over the parasite, Saunders said it has not caused meat prices to rise. He warns that consumer behavior could have a bigger impact on the market than the screwworm itself.
"What's going to affect it more is people panicking," Saunders said.
While consumers have not rushed to buy meat, Saunders said many ranchers have already been making tough decisions about their herds.
"We've seen a dramatic decline in cattle processing in our local slaughterhouse because the cattle have been sold, removed, and transported," Saunders said.
He said years of drought had already strained the region’s cattle industry, and the spread of New World screwworm is adding more pressure.
"Now the screwworm is coming right behind it, right when we're recovering from a drought," Saunders said. "Hopefully, we're getting average rainfall now. It's just a very deadly one-two punch for cattle ranchers and wildlife people as well."
One of the biggest concerns is feral hogs, which can carry screwworms across rivers and county lines, making the parasite more difficult to contain.
Saunders says Clayton’s Meat Market is prepared, as the business recently completed a mobile harvesting system that will allow them to go directly to farmers and ranchers.
He adds that if an animal tests positive for screwworm, it does not mean the meat is unsafe.
"That just means the infected area is the affected area. As long as you get to the animal in a timely fashion, we can still harvest that animal, still turn it into something that's edible for the consumer instead of it being a total loss," Saunders said.
He says the key is damage control and being proactive.
Early detection, prompt treatment, and proper inspections also help protect the food supply, he added.
"Just help the farmer and rancher. Shop local. Don't go into panic mode. Don't go, you know, COVID on us again and wipe out the shelves all at once," Saunders said.
Saunders recommends consumers stay informed by following updates from state and federal officials as they continue responding to the screwworm situation.
