Wednesday, 17 October 2018 08:55

M. bovis could have been handled better

Written by Rural News Group

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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor.

The Government has acknowledged that all was not right in MPI’s handling of the M. bovis crisis.

Last week Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted things could have been done better.

She and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor unveiled new initiatives designed to make it easier for farmers to claim compensation and to give them more support.

These include an online tool to calculate milk production losses, a simpler form to lodge a compensation claim and the funding of a DairyNZ/Beef + LambNZ compensation assistance team to help farmers with their claims.

Of NZ’s 24,000 farms, 74 have been infected with M. bovis and 36 destocked and cleared of the disease.

Ardern says the new initiatives will help farmers and their families hit by the disease to move on and get back in business.

Eradicating the disease is still a priority.

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