Wednesday, 24 February 2021 15:55

Possible scanner shortages likely

Written by  Staff Reporters
Farmers are being encouraged to book their sheep scanners in early this year due to possible shortages due to border restrictions. Farmers are being encouraged to book their sheep scanners in early this year due to possible shortages due to border restrictions.

While most rams have yet to go out, farmers are being encouraged to book their sheep scanners in early.

The call comes in case of any possible shortages of scanner availability due to Covid-19 border entry restrictions.

Beef+Lamb New Zealand’s senior advisor biosecurity and animal welfare, Will Halliday, says getting an understanding of the scale of the shortage now will enable the industry and Government to put steps in place to allow the entry of these critical workers, provided they meet the criteria.

He says the Ministry for Primary Industries has expressed concern about the lack of people not booking space in isolation hotels for critical primary sector workers such as scanners.

The critical worker border exemption is now led by Immigration NZ (INZ) and employers must apply to INZ on behalf of their employees to ensure they meet the criteria for ‘critical worker’.

Halliday says he has been engaging with the Government, Federated Farmers, the New Zealand Veterinary Association and sheep and beef vets to highlight the issue and he is encouraging sheep farmers to book their pregnancy scanners now.

“While it seems very early to be thinking about scanning, Covid-19 restrictions mean we cannot call up scanners from other parts of the world as we have in the past. It is important farmers and the industry plan ahead so applications can be made for critical worker border exemptions and where permitted, managed isolation booked well ahead of winter.”

He says employers bringing scanners into the country should not be deterred if they were turned down last year.

“Processes have changed and I would encourage them to apply again.”

Scanning is an important management tool which has significant benefits for feed management and animal welfare. Traditionally, scanners have been brought in from the Northern Hemisphere and Australia to help local scanners carry out pregnancy scanning from May through to August.

More like this

Bikinis in cowshed

OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content posted on social media and adult entertainment subscription site OnlyFans.

Editorial: Agri's mojo is back

OPINION: Good times are coming back for the primary industries. From sentiment expressed at Fieldays to the latest rural confidence survey results, all indicate farmer confidence at a near-record high.

MPI: Primary sector exports hit record $60B

A blockbuster year and an exciting performance: that's how Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General, Ray Smith is describing the massive upsurge in the fortunes of the primary sector exports for the year ended June 2025.

Featured

$2b boost in NZ exports to EU

New Zealand’s trade with the European Union has jumped $2 billion since a free trade deal entered into force in May last year.

US tariffs hit European ag machinery markets

The climate of uncertainty and market fragmentation that currently characterises the global economy suggests that many of the European agricultural machinery manufacturers will be looking for new markets.

Tributes paid to Jim Bolger

Dignitaries from  all walks of life – the governor general,  politicians past and present, Maoridom- including the Maori Queen, church leaders, the primary sector and family and  friends packed Our Lady of Kapiti’s Catholic church in Paraparaumu on Thursday October 23 to pay tribute to former prime Minister, Jim Bolger who died last week.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Red faced

OPINION: The Greens have taken the high moral ground on the Palestine issue and been leading political agitators in related…

Cold comfort

One of the most galling aspects of the tariffs whacked on our farm exports to the US is the fact…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter