DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ wrap up M. bovis compensation support after $161M in claims
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
The Mycoplasma bovis outbreak is heading for its first real crunch point in a couple of weeks with the start of the next round of bulk milk tests.
According to the head of Biosecurity New Zealand, Roger Smith, the results obtained from the bulk milk tests will be a telling moment in knowing the spread and nature of the disease.
Smith last week met with the chief executives of DairyNZ and Beef + LambNZ and other industry reps to discuss how the eradication is tracking; so far there are no surprises with just three more herds confirmed as infected.
As of last week 59 farms are confirmed as having M. bovis and 37 more are ‘active’ (having more tests).
Smith is not surprised that more herds are confirmed as infected because they were seen as likely to be. But it’s the results of bulk milk tests that will give a much more accurate onfarm picture.
“We would know the results the day after the first test, but it is comprehensive testing so there are six rounds. The final results will be out in November but we will have the North Island results in early-mid October and the South Island results after that.
“The results will give us a good view of whether things have panned out the way we expected with just a few farms infected. But if we get a lot more infected farms or farms where we cannot trace back where the disease came from, that would raise questions for us.”
Smith says a ‘drop-dead’ point would be the sudden discovery of strains of M. bovis different from those so far found.
Everything is being examined and the team will set up ‘technical triggers’, essentially asking if the strategy of eradicating M. bovis is still feasible and acceptable to industry.
These things need to be done with the backing of industry, Smith says.
“The position has always been that this is being done for the industry and in the end if eradication is not the right thing for the industry then a decision would need to be made and that would be a decision of the Government,” he says.
No more apathy
Meanwhile a change of heart is seen about M. bovis among North Island farmers.
DairyNZ’s Andrew Reid says at one stage many North Island dairy farmers regarded the disease as a South Island problem, but he says this is no longer the case.
“The sense of apathy we might have found across the North Island this time last year towards M. bovis has disappeared. We are seeing a lot more interest in onfarm biosecurity across the country.
“Questions are being asked about the use of service bulls, about mating policies and trading stock, and a lot more due diligence is being done on farms to make sure stock being brought onto farms are free of M. bovis or whether they may have been exposed to the disease,” he says.
Reid says farmers are now more perceptive and aware of their responsibilities to look after their farms and themselves.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…
OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…