State of Mexico calls for extra funds to battle livestock botfly outbreak

Deputy Javier Cruz Jaramillo, president of the Planning and Public Spending Commission of the State of Mexico’s Congress, urged a budget increase to strengthen prevention and containment of the cattle botfly (Cochliomyia hominivorax). The call followed an inter‑institutional meeting with the UAEMEX Temascaltepec campus, the Secretariat of Agriculture, and the Temascaltepec municipal government.

The legislators announced forums on the issue in Tejupilco and Valle de Bravo and suggested additional workshops in the northern and eastern parts of the state. They stressed the need for livestock associations to report cases for accurate statistics. Authorities reported nine active infestations out of a cumulative 289 cases across 40 municipalities. The effort is part of a national “shield” program already coordinated with Michoacán and Guerrero, with plans to extend cooperation to Mexico City and Morelos. In Temascaltepec alone, 67 cases have been addressed, and producers report better awareness and tools to protect animal health.