USDA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will contract with Mortenson Construction to build a U.S.-based New World screwworm sterile fly production facility, in hopes of breaking ground later this spring.
The agencies announced the contract for the Edinburg, Texas, facility on Monday and aim to begin producing 100 million sterile flies per week by November 2027. The goal is to produce 300 million sterile flies per week in the long term.
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The Corps will be responsible for overseeing the construction contract, according to a press release.
"The Army Corps is the best in the business and their engineering expertise and proven track record in delivering complex projects will help ensure we can build a modern, resilient facility that protects American agriculture from invasive pests for decades to come,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a release. "This first-of-its-kind facility on U.S. soil will ensure we are not reliant on other countries for sterile flies.”
