Thursday, 03 May 2018 13:18

Second North Island farm tests positive with M. bovis

Written by 
A second farm in the North Island has tested positive with Mycoplasma bovis.  A second farm in the North Island has tested positive with Mycoplasma bovis. 

Ministry of Primary Industries’ testing has found a second farm in the North Island with positive Mycoplasma bovis infection. 

MPI’s director of response, Geoff Gwyn says the affected farm is a mixed sheep and beef property in the Pahiatua area near Palmerston North in the Manawatu.

“This farm has been identified through tracing and use of NAIT records, and is connected to other infected properties through animal movements.

“The farmer concerned has been very cooperative with movement controls and has not moved any animals off the property, except to slaughter, since even before legal restrictions were issued,” Gwyn says.

While this is the second North Island detection it should not be considered a major turning point in the response, adds MPI.

“This is, in fact, just a further property uncovered through robust tracing activity. It is likely we will find further positive properties as this tracing continues,” Gwyn says.

“We have a number of farms in the North and South Islands under quarantine while we carry out testing. The reality of farming is that large numbers of cattle are routinely moved about the country.

“This Pahiatua detection is part of the large network of associated farms that we are finding.”

As well as the Pahiatua property, MPI also confirms two further positive properties in Southland. Both these farms are also mixed sheep and beef farms.  There are no further positive properties to report at this time, including in the Waikato as has been speculated.

Current Stats:

  • Infected properties – 35
  • Properties under Restricted Place Notices –  53 – includes the 35 IPs
  • 3 Restricted Place Notices and 36 Surveillance Notices of Direction have been revoked.
  • Animals culled as response control measure - just over 8,000 on 8 properties.
  • A further 3,000 animals are expected to be culled by the end of this week.
  • A final decision on future management of the disease is still to be made.

More like this

M. bovis plan on track

New Zealand's world-first Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme is making great strides but this isn't the time for complacency, says Ospri.

M. bovis plan gets farmer backing

The Government’s plan to implement a National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) for Mycoplasma bovis has been well received by farmers.

Featured

Owl Farm marks 10 years as NZ’s first demonstration dairy farm

In 2015, the signing of a joint venture between St Peter's School, Cambridge, and Lincoln University saw the start of an exciting new chapter for Owl Farm as the first demonstration dairy farm in the North Island. Ten years on, the joint venture is still going strong.

National

Machinery & Products

New McHale terra drive axle option

Well-known for its Fusion baler wrapper combination, Irish manufacturer McHale has launched an interesting option at the recent Irish Ploughing…

Amazone unveils flagship spreader

With the price of fertiliser still significantly higher than 2024, there is an increased onus on ensuring its spread accurately at…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

The real emergency

The nutters of the green world, aided and abetted by the lamestream media, are rewriting the English language for the worse.

A very low road

OPINION: The self righteous activists at Greenpeace are copying the self-righteous lefties behind the ‘free Palestine’ movement – not surprising given…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter