Salmonellosis Surge: MPI reports rising cases in New Zealand cattle
Salmonellosis is a serious disease in cattle.
MPI director-general Ray Smith say recovery for the red meat sector will take approximately two years.
MPI director-general Ray Smith acknowledges the tough times that sheep and beef farmers are going through in terms of loss of profitability and says he's been to many of the regions hammered by weather events. He describes the situation as heartbreaking.
"But I want them to hang on to is the fact that all the indicators are that we will return to a positive position," he says.
Smith says recovery for the red meat sector will take about two years, but the worst is over and prices are starting to come back. But he believes when they do come back, they will not be at the same high level as they were.
He says there are many positive things going on for the red meat sector. He notes NZ protein is still sought after by the growing middle classes in our markets and believes that because of our farming systems, climate change will have less impact on our farmers than our competitors.
"Our production system is highly efficient it doesn't rely on a whole lot of imported feed or other grown feed, and I think that will give us an advantage over the countries that we compete with," he says.
Three New Zealand agritech companies are set to join forces to help unlock the full potential of technology.
As the sector heads into the traditional peak period for injuries and fatalities, farmers are being urged to "take a moment".
Federated Farmers says almost 2000 farmers have signed a petition launched this month to urge the Government to step in and provide certainty while the badly broken resource consent system is fixed.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
According to analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), New Zealand red meat exports reached $827 million in October, a 27% increase on the same period last year.

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