Department of Agriculture hiring for largest facility in U.S. to combat New World Screwworm

EDINBURG, TX (WWAY) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will begin hiring for 228 positions at the New World Screwworm (NWS) Sterile Fly Production Facility in Edinburg, Texas, starting in November.

Construction of the facility will be completed at the Texas facility in April 2027.

According to the USDA, the sterile insect technique is a sustainable, eco-friendly way to control insect pests by disrupting their ability to reproduce.

In a biosecure environment, NWS flies are raised and sterilized using irradiation before being released in targeted areas.

Because female screwworm flies mate only once, mating with sterile males results in eggs that do not hatch. Sterile flies are safe—because they can’t produce larvae, they cannot cause harm. They pose no risk to animals or people.

It will be the first U.S.-based sterile fly production facility and is anticipated to begin producing 100 million sterile flies per week in 2027 and approximately 300 million sterile flies per week once it is operating at full capacity.

Currently, USDA funds two sterile fly production facilities in North America.

The facility in Panama is the backbone of current efforts, producing 100 million sterile flies per week. The facility in Mexico opened in June 2026 and continues to ramp up production. It is expected to produce 100 million sterile flies per week once it has reached full capacity.

Once fully operational, this expanded production network will provide the speed, scale, and domestic capability needed to rapidly counter any NWS threat—reducing risks to producers, protecting animal health, and strengthening the resilience of America’s livestock industry.

Fertile screwworms infest living tissue of warm-blooded animals and pose a threat to livestock and wildlife. However, they are not a food safety concern because they do not infest meat, fruits, vegetables, or other food sources.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins made the announcement Tuesday that those interested in the positions can apply online starting at USAJobs.gov or can attend a hiring event in McAllen, Texas, from Nov. 17-19, 2026.

“Protecting U.S. livestock and wildlife from New World Screwworm is a national security priority, and this new facility will drastically boost the availability of sterile flies – our most successful offensive capability to drive these serious pests away from our border,” said Rollins. “The people filling these vital positions will serve at the front lines in our battle against this serious pest and help ensure that we again eradicate it from our country.”