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.
Failure to follow directives not to move stock because of the Mycoplasma bovis threat and breaking NAIT rules has landed a South Canterbury farmer with a $21,000 fine.
Daniel Bernard Thomas appeared for sentencing in the Timaru District Court last week on four charges under the Biosecurity Act and one charge under the National Animal Identification and Tracing Act 2012.
At the time of the offending in 2019, Thomas’ Omarama farm was subject to a Notice of Direction (NOD) which prohibits cattle moving from his farm without approval by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
An MPI investigation found that in April 2019, Thomas sold and allowed the transportation of 153 yearling bulls to a farm in Pahiatua. Then in May, he transported another 32 cattle to a sale yard, again without the required permission from MPI.
The livestock agent, who did not know the animals were under a NOD, sold 26 of these animals to three clients and one buyer then on-sold some of the animals to two other farm owners.
Finally, in June (2019), Thomas transported 44 cattle to a meat processing plant and failed to disclose whether his animals were under MPI surveillance or movement control under the NAIT rules.
MPI’s manager of compliance investigations, Gerry Anderson, says Thomas fell short of his obligations.
“It’s vital that all people in charge of cattle or deer follow these important rules. Our ability to track and trace animals is a critical factor in managing biosecurity threats such as Mycoplasma bovis,” he says.
“Biosecurity outbreaks have the potential to devastate the agricultural industry. We all need to do our part to prevent that or we all lose.”
Anderson says people who break the rules should know that MPI takes this offending very seriously.
In sentencing, Judge Mill took into account Thomas’s early guilty plea, his participation in a restorative justice conference with the victims and his previous good character.
Like many manufacturers around the world, European agricultural machinery and tractor manufacturers are currently operating in a difficult market environment. But they are heading to the world’s largest agricultural machinery event in Hanover next month with a degree of cautious optimism.
Established in 2021, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards champion the important contribution parts and service technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The ACT Party says media reports that global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance shows why New Zealand needs to rethink its approach to climate.
OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly recently met someone at a BBQ who works at a big consulting firm who spent…