$610M screwworm facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg moves forward with federal contract

The federal government has awarded a $610 million construction contract to build a new sterile insect production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, a project designed to strengthen U.S. defenses against the destructive New World screwworm parasite.

According to a federal contract announcement, M. A. Mortenson Co., a construction and development firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, received the firm-fixed-price contract.

The project will be overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Worth District, which is serving as the contracting authority.

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Two proposals were submitted after the project was solicited online, according to the announcement. Fiscal year 2026 funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture totaling $610 million were obligated at the time of the award.

Construction at Moore Air Base is expected to continue through March 2028, when the facility is scheduled for completion.

Protecting livestock and food supply

The project is part of a long-running federal effort to prevent the return of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals.

Scientifically known as Cochliomyia hominivorax, the insect can cause severe damage to livestock and wildlife if outbreaks spread unchecked. Historically, infestations have resulted in significant economic losses to the agricultural sector and raised concerns about food security.

To control the pest, federal officials use a biological control strategy known as the sterile insect technique.

Under the approach, large numbers of sterilized male flies are released into the environment. When those flies mate with wild females, the resulting eggs fail to develop, gradually reducing the pest population over time.

Maintaining that strategy requires specialized facilities capable of breeding and sterilizing massive quantities of insects under tightly controlled laboratory conditions.

Expansion of sterile insect production

Federal officials say the new Edinburg facility will significantly expand the United States’ capacity to produce sterile insects for rapid deployment during potential outbreaks.

Locating the complex at Moore Air Base allows federal agencies to use an existing installation already tied to agricultural protection programs.

Officials say the site’s infrastructure and its proximity to potential outbreak zones along the southern U.S. border make it well suited for rapid response operations.

Although the program is led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Army Corps of Engineers frequently manages large construction projects for federal agencies requiring specialized infrastructure.

Highly controlled production environment

The project is expected to include specialized laboratory space, insect rearing areas, environmental control systems, and other support infrastructure needed to maintain sterile insect production at large scale.

Facilities of this type must maintain strict biological containment and environmental conditions to ensure the effectiveness of the sterile insect technique.

The New World screwworm was eradicated from the United States in the 1960s through an extensive program that involved mass-releasing sterilized flies.

However, the pest remains present in parts of Central and South America and has been detected in northern Mexico, requiring continued monitoring and response capacity to prevent its return.

The new facility in Edinburg is intended to strengthen that prevention system and ensure the U.S. can respond quickly if new outbreaks emerge near the southern border.