Fact Check: Why Your Meat Prices Are About to Skyrocket Thanks to a Tiny 'Screwworm'
If you've noticed your grocery bill creeping up again, blame something you've probably never heard of: the New World screwworm. This flesh-eating pest, officially eradicated from the U.S. in 1966, is back in the crosshairs of the USDA—and they're spending your tax dollars to stop it from reaching your dinner plate. Here’s the raw truth: if this invasive fly larvae starts infecting U.S. livestock en masse, it could trigger a quarantine that cripples the beef and pork supply. That means fewer steaks, more expensive bacon, and a direct hit to your wallet as early as next quarter. Even if the containment works, the massive sterilization program—dropping billions of sterile flies from planes—costs millions you're already funding through federal agriculture premiums. The bottom line: keep an eye on your meat aisle, or a screwworm outbreak could literally eat into your household budget.