Tuesday, 09 October 2018 12:47

Support for stricken farmers

Written by 
Jacinda Ardern. Jacinda Ardern.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor have announced a recovery package to help farmers get back to business more quickly after being cleared of Mycoplasma bovis.

The duo made the announcement on Bryce and Julie Stevenson’s beef farm in Wairarapa as the couple restock after eradicating Mycoplasma bovis

“I know it’s been an extremely tough time for many farmers,” Ardern said.

“Losing herds, pets and years of stock genetics built up over decades is an incredible hit to take for New Zealand’s one shot to protect our national herd and economic base.

“For those families whose farms have been cleared of Mycoplasma bovis, restocking marks an important turning point – it allows them to begin moving forward again.

“The Government remains committed to phased eradication, which is progressing well, and to helping farmers get back to business,” Ardern said.

The recovery package, rolled out by the Ministry for Primary Industries and response partners DairyNZ and Beef+LambNZ, includes: 

DairyNZ and Beef+LambNZ Compensation Assistance Team

- DairyNZ and Beef + LambNZ have put together a team of rural professionals who understand both farming and the compensation process who can sit down and work with farmers on their claims. The $400,000 cost is funded through the response.

Improved compensation form and guide

- Set to be released this week, the simplified form will be easier to follow and the supporting guide will make clear what documents need to be submitted to ensure prompt payment of compensation claims.

Online milk production losses calculation tool

- An online tool for farmers to easily estimate their milk production losses, to speed up compensation claims, will shortly be released.

Rural Support Trust boos

- MPI has now completed training 80 Rural Support Trust members to provide crucial welfare support.

Regional Recovery Managers, in addition to the Acute Recovery Tea

- The Regional Centres in Invercargill, Oamaru, Ashburton and Hamilton will each have a regional recovery manager. They are being nominated and seconded by DairyNZ and Beef+LambNZ and will help farmers develop a tailor-made recovery plan. 

O’Connor says the response is making good progress in its world-first eradication attempt.

More like this

Featured

Aussie farmers get A$8.60/kgMS as opening milk price

Australian dairy farmers supplying Fonterra are getting an opening weighted average milk price of A$8.60/kgMS for the new season or around NZ$9.26/kgMS -  NZ74c less than New Zealand suppliers, based on the current exchange rate.

National

DairyNZ Farmers Forum underway

Over 300 farmers and rural professionals have gathered in Hamilton for the first DairyNZ Farmers Forum for this year.

Machinery & Products

Shearing legend hooked on CanAm

Sir David Fagan, world-renowned competitive sheep shearer with 642 shearing titles worldwide and a knighthood to his name, now runs…

50 years of tractor pull

This year, the Fieldays Tractor Pull, in association with PTS Logistics, mark a major milestone – 50 years of crowd-thrilling…

The Wrangler's birthday bash

It's the Wrangler Limited’s 30th birthday and to celebrate the milestone a prototype of the E Series Wrangler - a…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Free speech

OPINION: The Free Speech Union is taking this one too far.

Drug survey

OPINION: New national data from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), a leading workplace drug tester, shows methamphetamine (meth) use is…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter