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.
As the five year mark of the programme to eradicate M. bovis is reached, a new discovery has been made.
MPI’s director of the M.bovis eradication programme Simon Andrew said the infected farm in Mid-Canterbury has clear links to previously infected farms.
"The new confirmed infected property neighbours a cleared confirmed property with strong links to the Wakanui cluster,” Andrew says.
“We are continuing to investigate the infection source and are working with the farmer to depopulate the property in a way that minimises disruption as much as possible.”
He adds that as a result of the new infected property, MPI will be tracing animal movements and other risk events.
“This will likely see an increase in the number of farms under movement restrictions while we ensure the risk of disease spread is mitigated," Andrew says.
This new case has dashed hopes that the country could finally be rid of the cattle disease.
Since 2017 when the disease was found in New Zealand, 280 farms have been cleared if it. Since then, $641 million has been spent on eradication efforts out of a total $870m budget.
Andrew says it is vital that farmers continue animal tracing through National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT).
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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