Controls lifted at poultry farm
Movement controls have been lifted from Mainland Poultry’s Hillgrove Farm in Otago, after the successful eradication of H7N6 strain of high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has confirmed that one of two Waimate district farms placed under restrictions last week has tested positive for Mycoplasma bovis infection.
Testing is ongoing on the second property, which is under precautionary restrictions due to its association with the new infected farm.
In addition to these two farms, the Ministry has today placed a further farm in the area under the same controls while further testing is underway to determine if it too is infected.
MPI’s Incident Controller of the Mycoplasma bovis Response, David Yard, says all three farms are in the same district and a couple of them neighbour Van Leeuwen Dairy Group properties.
“All these farms are under Restricted Place Notices, controlling the movement of animals and other risk goods on and off the farms.
“We still have a lot of work to do ascertaining the source of infection at the confirmed infected property and building a picture of animal movements between all three farms and possible other farms.”
Mycoplasma bovis is spread through close contact between animals and through the direct movement of cattle between properties.
Yard says the key to protecting farms is practicing good on-farm biosecurity measures.
“There is a lot of thorough information on MPI’s website about keeping equipment clean, buffer fencing property boundaries and about safely moving animals between properties.”
All three farms were identified through the Ministry’s comprehensive, science-based surveillance and tracing programme, which has now tested more than 40,000 samples of milk, blood and swabs.
“Our programme has been developed by MPI’s skilled scientists and veterinarians, along with advice from Massey University’s EpiCentre - the largest veterinary epidemiology training and research centre in Australasia.
“The surveillance is the most appropriate for the situation we are dealing with and we’re leaving no stone unturned in our bid to understand where this disease is present and manage it.”
Yard says he wants to assure farmers that if Mycoplasma bovis is present, it will be found.
MPI’s experienced response team is now planning for how the new infected place will be managed and continuing testing of samples from the two other properties.
“This is a very stressful time for everyone involved, and I’d like assure farmers that MPI is working hard to on their behalf to locate and contain this disease,” Yard says.
Farmers who have concerns about someone doing it tough can call the Mycoplasma bovis Farmer Support Line 027 444 9380 or their local Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254 (0800 RURAL HELP).
Farmers in the Australian state of New South Wales will soon be able to use virtual fencing and herding technology to boost farm productivity.
Hawke's Bay teenage entrepreneur Hugo Moffett is helping the rural community access cheaper school uniforms, all without leaving their homes.
As part of preparing for a potential IPO in relation to the divestment process for its global Consumer business and integrated businesses Fonterra Oceania and Sri Lanka, Fonterra has named Anne Templeman-Jones as chair-elect of the Audit and Risk Committee for the Mainland Group board.
There's been a positive response to the Government's latest move to make freshwater farm plans more practical and affordable.
Massey University has begun trialling the use of superior beef genetics in its two dairy farms as part of Beef + Lamb New Zealand's dairy beef progeny test.
The annual Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival – a fusion of books and storytelling - celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
OPINION: Forests planted for carbon credits are permanently locking up NZ’s landscapes, and could land us with more carbon costs,…
OPINION: NZ farming is built on hard work, but also on innovation, a lot of which came about thanks to…