LIC extends New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards sponsorship
LIC has reaffirmed its sponsorship of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) by signing up as a national sponsor for another three years.
A bovine tuberculosis (TB) infection that has affected several herds from the same Mangakino business has so far been contained.
NAIT and LIC data has allowed OSPRI's TBfree veterinarians to trace any stock that have been moved off the infected properties and these animals will be TB tested to avoid the disease spreading.
Official have informed all immediate neighbours of the infected herds and reassured them that the disease is well contained and there is negligible risk of it spreading 'over the fence'.
Bovine TB spreads through close contact between animals and not by gumboots or tractor and truck tyres.
TBfree Waikato Committee chair John Bubb says having bovine TB in your herd can cause extreme emotional and financial stress for the affected farmer.
"They need support to help them through this difficult time. There are various avenues available to farmers with a TB-infected herd, including their local TBfree committee member who is likely to have experienced the effects of the disease first-hand, Rural Support Trusts and TBfree staff," says Bubb.
"Importantly, the farmer needs the support of their neighbours and local community. There remains an unfortunate stigma attached to herd TB infections. This can be addressed by keeping neighbours informed of the situation and organising events such as shed meetings."
As the number of infected herds has dropped from about 1700 in the mid-1990s to 51 today, the awareness of bovine TB in New Zealand has declined.
"Educating farmers about the risk of TB is vital towards keeping infected herd numbers under control. Nearly 10 million hectares of New Zealand is known to contain TB-infected wild animals, with possums being the main source of the disease in these areas," says Bubb.
Stock movement-related infections are a potential cause of the disease spreading. This can be kept in check by ensuring farmers play their part in controlling the disease.
"You must make wise stock purchasing decisions and ensure all animals are accompanied by a correctly filled out Animal Status Declaration form before they are allowed onto your farm. All animal movements, including farm-to-farm movements, must be recorded in the NAIT system to ensure lifetime traceability," Bubb says.
Whangarei field service technician, Bryce Dickson has cemented his place in John Deere’s history, becoming the first ever person to win an award for the third time at the annual Australian and New Zealand Technician of the Year Awards, announced at a gala dinner in Brisbane last night.
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.
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