increase font size
Mycoplasma bovis eradication is looking achievable.
Farmers are expected to finalise a Biosecurity Levy of 3.9c/kgMS this week.
After a round of meetings run by DairyNZ most farmers are expected to say ‘yes’ to the deal negotiated by DairyNZ on their behalf. The funds would go towards eradicating Mycoplasma bovis from NZ farms.
The levy would be imposed even if dairy farmers voted against it. MPI would implement a levy under the Biosecurity Act, rather than the GIA, and the levy amount and payback period would be at their discretion without input from DairyNZ.
Under the deal between MPI and the sheep and beef and dairy sectors, 32% of the contribution would come from the industry; dairy would meet 94% of that.
The levy will be reviewed annually and, once the costs of the M. bovis response are recovered over two years, the levy will reduce significantly (unless there is another biosecurity response required). For example, an average farm milking 430 cows will pay a maximum of about $6100 per year, for two years, for the M. bovis response.
The biosecurity response levy is permanently in place, but the levy amount will be substantially reduced once the M. bovis response costs have been paid.
DairyNZ acknowledges that the financial contribution to the M. bovis response, via the levy, will be challenging for some farmers.
However, it believes it was the correct decision to eradicate rather than let the disease spread through our stock — a more serious challenge with much higher and longer lasting costs.
Farmers support the programme to eradicate M. bovis and are vowing to continue to advocate for, and assist with, achieving an efficient, effective programme that works and provides equitable compensation.
It’s clear the 3.9c levy hasn’t gone down too well with farmers.
“When I heard the exact levy amount of 3.9c/kgMS, I got a little shocked myself,” Federated Farmers dairy chair Chris Lewis told the Feds dairy council meeting earlier this month.
“I was led to believe it would be around 1.6 – 2c/kgMS. Obviously they are front-loading the costs for three-plus years.”
The Government estimated the total expected response cost over 10 years to be $870 million. The Government will pay $591m, the dairy sector $262m and the beef sector $17.4m.
Eradication is looking achievable and this is a great outcome for New Zealand.
Partnering with the Government has significantly reduced the costs of managing the M. bovis response for farmers, something they will be grateful for.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
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.
DairyNZ has pulled together tactics that will help farmers improve on-farm efficiency and have positive benefits for the environment. These tactics are based on research, data, and lessons from leading farmers.
The design and construction of an effective dairy effluent system is a complex process.
After serving three as a DairyNZ director, Waikato farmer Chris Lewis is ready for another term.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
