TB plan review to focus on possum hot spots
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
The science underpinning New Zealand’s TBfree programme has earned an award for its researchers.
Science New Zealand, which represents the country’s seven Crown Research Institutes (CRIs), hosted its inaugural national awards at Parliament earlier in the summer.
The TBfree team at Landcare Research/Manaaki Whenua was recognised for having refined aerial 1080.
Most of the research recognised was funded and directed by OSPRI and its predecessor the Animal Health Board.
The research has clarified the role of various pest species as TB vectors; developed strategies for local elimination of pests and for declaring areas free of TB; and substantially reduced the environmental, non-target and animal welfare risks of pest destruction. The projects included low-cost aerial 1080, TB surveillance, population monitoring, mitigating non-target impacts, the role of deer, pigs and ferrets in TB maintenance, possum spatial model for TB freedom prediction and deer repellents for 1080 baits.
These projects have helped OSPRI shift from a focus on achieving TB-freedom status to a focus on full TB eradication, and helped develop the competitive contracting industry and performance contracts.
Research areas included Waikato, West Coast, Southland, Marlborough, Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay.
In 2013, the Landcare Research team leaders were awarded the Shorland Medal by the New Zealand Association of Scientists for applied science excellence, which recognises the contribution the group has made to the cost-effectiveness and success of mammal pest destruction, especially possums, in the past 20 years.
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
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