Metapa Facility to Produce 100M Sterile Flies Weekly, Backed by $84M U.S. Funding
PPC•The U.S. and Mexico opened a Metapa facility to produce 30 million sterile screwworm flies weekly in July, scaling to 100 million by November. Together with the Panama plant, output will reach 200 million weekly, backed by $84 million in U.S. funds to avert livestock losses exceeding $700 million annually.
1. Metapa Facility Ramp-Up
The Metapa site in southern Mexico began operations with a target of 30 million sterile screwworm pupae per week in July, increasing production to 60 million in August and reaching full capacity of 100 million by November. This new facility works alongside Panama’s existing plant to bolster total weekly output.
2. Combined Production and Distribution
Once Metapa and Panama plants operate at peak capacity, they will jointly release 200 million sterilized male flies weekly via aerial distribution across affected regions in Mexico and the United States to interrupt the pest’s lifecycle.
3. Funding and Economic Impact
The U.S. provided an additional $84 million to support the joint effort, reflecting concerns that a widespread screwworm infestation could inflict more than $700 million in annual losses on the U.S. livestock industry.
4. Future Expansion and Cooperation
A separate sterile fly production facility under construction in Texas is scheduled to begin operations in late 2027, underscoring ongoing U.S.-Mexico collaboration on agricultural biosecurity and livestock protection.
