Cattle Raisers Association at Odds with Texas Ag Commissioner Over Cattle Spray Boxes

FORT WORTH, TX — Monday, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller shut down spray boxes for Texas cattle. According to Miller, “These spray boxes apply a high-powered insecticide called Co-Ral, at seven times the recommended agriculture rate, to combat ticks that may infect livestock with deadly Texas cattle fever.” Commissioner Miller stated that a lack of ventilation in a confined spray box violated federal rules for the application of insecticide and that the spray box businesses did not have licensed applicators.

Spray boxes are used by south Texas cattle ranching operators as part of the Cattle-Fever Tick Eradication program that is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Texas Animal Health Commission. According to Commissioner Miller’s office, “The goal of the program is to limit the Cattle Fever Tick to the 8-county quarantine zone along the border with Mexico, and ultimately eradicate the pest from Texas entirely.”

Wednesday morning, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) took issue with Commissioner Miller’s move. “The use of spray boxes has long been widely accepted as a safe and effective method to treat cattle for cattle fever ticks. According to TAHC and USDA-APHIS, the spray boxes they utilize are not known to have caused any cattle deaths due to toxicity, nor has TSCRA received reports of any such deaths. Commissioner Miller’s decision is detrimental to the health of the cattle and livelihood of ranchers who rely on the use of spray boxes to eradicate cattle fever ticks,” Robert McKnight, Jr., president of the TSCRA said in a statement.

“We are very disappointed that Commissioner Miller made such a rash decision to take away this vital tool from Texas cattle raisers. His decision has a direct and immediate impact on cattle health, Texas ranchers and the entire U.S. cattle industry. His action could seriously endanger cattle welfare and prevent Texas ranchers from participating in commerce at a time when our industry is already facing hardships due to drought and other issues,” McKnight stated. “The scientific name for Texas cattle fever is bovine babesiosis, a name related to organisms that infect the cattle’s red blood cells,” according to the Texas Department of Agriculture. “The tick’s destruction of the red blood cells results in cattle anemia, fever and death. The Cattle Fever Tick is a major threat to not only the Texas cattle industry, but also exotic game and other animals.”

“Everybody agrees we need to fight Cattle Fever Ticks with everything we’ve got,” said Commissioner Miller. “But here in Texas we’re going to do it according to the law in a way that doesn’t kill cattle. The goal of the program is to protect cattle not kill them. Our Texas ranchers had a concern about it and I listened and took action. I will ensure that other state and federal agencies do what they need to do to address this problem.”

“We hope Commissioner Miller will reconsider his position that harms Texas cattle and cattle raisers,” TSCRA’s McKnight said.