OSPRI Reduces TB Testing and Lifts Movement Controls in Key Regions
Ospri is reducing TB testing frequencies and movement control measures as the disease risk subsidies in parts of the country.
The past week has seen a further four herds test positive for tuberculosis (TB) in Hawke’s Bay.
OSPRI reports that there are now twelve herds infected with TB in Hawke’s Bay, including nine beef farms and three dairy farms.
A beef herd previously under investigation is now confirmed to be infected and three additional herds have been added to investigations.
The increase in infected herds represents a 50% jump in cases, with OSPRI reporting eight herds infected last week.
Ten herds are currently being investigated for TB, three of which are new from last week.
The number of herds being investigated is slightly lower than the eleven being tested last week, with investigations being closed for two herds after testing showed no infection.
A total of 56,916 animals have been tested since 1 November 2019.
For infected herds, two clear, whole herd tests six months apart are required to achieve clear status
Current possum control operations progressing: ground control work in Waitara Valley, Tarawera, Opouahi, Tutira, Waipatiki, Willowflat and Mohaka Forest; aerial control operations scheduled to start in Te Awahohonu-Ahimanawa and Waitara Valley before June.
OSPRI’s Hawke’s Bay TB response webpage has been revised with the latest information for farmers – go towww.ospri.co.nz/hawkes-bay
Fonterra says its interim results show continued momentum in its performance, with revenue of $13.9 billion in the first half of the 2026 financial year.
New Zealand's diverse cheesemaking talent shone brightly last night as the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) crowned the champions of the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards.
Tracing has indicated that the source of the first velvetleaf find of the 2025-26 crop season, in Auckland, was likely maize purchased in the Waikato region.
Fish & Game New Zealand has announced its election priorities in its Manifesto 2026.
With the forage maize harvest started in Northland and the Waikato, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is telling growers of later crops, or those further south, to start checking their maize crop maturity about three weeks prior to when they think they will start silage harvesting.
Irrigation NZ is warning that the government's Resource Management Act (RMA) reform risks falling short of its objectives unless water use for food production and water storage infrastructure are clearly recognised in the goals at the top of the new system.

OPINION: Election years are usually regarded as the silly season, but a mate of the Hound reckons 2026 is shaping…
OPINION: If farmers poured just a few litres of some pollutant into a stream, the Green Party and the wider…