A New World screwworm is just the latest challenge facing U.S. farmers, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Newsmax on Monday.

Appearing on Newsmax's "Wake Up America," Marshall said ranchers are grappling with multiple pressures, including record-high beef prices, shrinking cattle inventories, rising fertilizer costs, and the threat posed by the flesh-eating parasite that has prompted restrictions on cattle imports from Mexico.

"Here's the challenge before us," Marshall told co-hosts Sharla McBride and Marc Lotter. "The lowest cattle herd we've ever had in my lifetime anyway, mainly due to the drought."

The U.S. cattle inventory has fallen to its lowest level in decades, helping drive beef prices to record highs.

The situation has been compounded by the discovery of New World screwworm infestations in Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border, leading U.S. officials to restrict cattle imports across the southern border.

Marshall said the United States typically imports about 1 million live cattle from Mexico annually, representing a significant share of the supply for American feedlots.

"Right now, we're missing about one-thirteenth of our supply of cattle," Marshall said.

The senator expressed confidence that the screwworm outbreak can be contained, noting that the United States successfully eradicated the pest in 1966.

The parasite lays eggs in open wounds of livestock, with larvae feeding on living tissue.

"We've been through this before," Marshall said. "The good news is we've got great treatments for this."

Agriculture officials are relying on a proven eradication strategy that involves releasing sterile male screwworm flies to prevent reproduction.

Facilities in Central America are already producing the insects, while additional production capacity is being developed in Texas and Mexico, Marshall said.

Beyond the screwworm threat, Marshall said farmers continue to struggle with rising input costs.

"I think the biggest challenge right now in farmland and rural America are the input costs, fertilizers, and it's also the price of diesel as well," he said.

Marshall credited President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans with providing substantial assistance to the agriculture sector through recently enacted legislation.

He pointed to billions of dollars for crop insurance, farm protection programs, tax relief, and rural healthcare initiatives.

"This president has done more for agricultural America than any president I've ever seen," Marshall said.

Still, he acknowledged that additional support may be necessary as producers continue facing economic pressures.

"We're going to have to look at some more money to help them get through this trial because of the fertilizer prices," Marshall said.

He also urged Congress to approve year-round sales of E15 gasoline, saying the move would boost demand for American corn without costing taxpayers additional money.

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