Cattle growers in west Texas who export cattle to Mexico are now being required to ship their animals through the cattle crossing at Santa Teresa, NM instead of through the livestock crossing at Socorro, Texas. The new requirement, ordered by Mexico's national agricultural inspection commission, has raised the ire of local El Paso, Texas cattle growers who complain that the extra expense of shipping their livestock another 60 miles will increase their costs by $250-$300 per shipment and put them out of business. The change, which took place on November 20, they state, is a violation of the spirit of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Before the change, about 3,000 head of cattle were shipped through the Socorro pens monthly.
The pens at Socorro are operated by the Texas Department of Agriculture and about $2.5 million worth of cattle beef exports to Mexico are processed through the Socorro pens annually. The crossing at Santa Teresa, NM is owned by the Chihuahua Cattlemen's Union, (Union Ganadera de Chihuahua). Besides the crossing at Santa Teresa, the other closest livestock crossing to El Paso for exporting to Mexico is at Laredo.
According to an El Paso Times editorial on the issue, Mexico's argument for the change is insufficient personnel. Dr. Fernando Contreras, the director of the animal inspections for the national agricultural inspection commission, said that inspections at other crossings have been closed as well, but according to the editorial, he would not specify where those other closures have been. El Paso growers have countered that the reason for the change is money, since the Chihuahua Cattlegrower's Union stands to make more money from cattle moving through their pens at Santa Teresa than through the Texas-owned pens at Socorro.
Source: El Paso Times