increase font size
MPI is asking farmers to review their biosecurity practices ahead of Moving Day.
With ‘Moving Day’ just around the corner, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is reminding farmers to review their biosecurity practices while moving their animals.
Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) eradication programme director Simon Andrew says good planning and communication can help ensure a smooth Moving Day.
“Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of farmers and the wider agricultural sector, we have made good progress toward eradicating M. bovis since it was first detected in New Zealand in 2017. We are now aiming to move from delimiting – controlling the last known pockets of M. bovis – to gathering negative test result data to support a statement of provisional absence of M. bovis.”
Andrew says good biosecurity practices remain essential to fighting M. Bovis.
“If left unchecked, the disease could have cost industry an estimated $1.2 billion over the first 10 years, with ongoing productivity losses across the farming sector and animal welfare concerns,” he says.
Andrew says as well as taking steps to stay infection-free, farmers must record all movements in the National Animal Identification Tracing (NAIT) system.
“The main way M. bovis spreads is when infected cattle are introduced into, or have close and ongoing contact with, an uninfected herd. Likewise, when the disease is detected, the rapid detection of infected herds is critical.”
Keeping up NAIT requirements of tagging, registering, and recording the movements of stock is important but equally important is to do the same for all incoming cattle.
As well as NAIT, farmers should consider other steps to stay infection free. MPI is advising farmers talk with veterinarians, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand about ways to reduce the risk of M. bovis and build those into biosecurity plans and animal health plans.
Testing confirms H5 bird flu in a single northern giant petrel, found dead on a remote Cape Palliser beach in the Wairarapa, says Dr Mary van Andel, the Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) Chief Veterinary Officer.
The apple sector is working with the Government to unlock access to two key markets that could bring millions in revenue for apple growers.
Running a tight and self-contained ship is the key to the success of the country's largest dairy farmer, says Blair Robinson, the new man at the helm of Dairy Holdings.
A Palmerston North shearer has been sentenced to six months' community detention and 12 months' supervision after being found to have physically abused three lambs while shearing them.
OPINION: A simpler, clearer, more effective Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.
Waikato milk processor Tatua has again declared a record milk payout to farmer shareholders, leaving other processors in the dust.
A Labour-led Government won’t be bringing back the controversial freshwater rules of 2020.
National’s much-touted free trade deal with India featured in the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on Wednesday night.
New Zealand's 2026-27 freshwater fishing season has opened, with anglers encouraged to head to rivers and lakes over the coming days as conditions look favourable across much of the country.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.
Pāmu has released its FY26 Integrated Annual Report, reporting a Net Operating Profit of $113 million, more than double the $49 million recorded in FY25.
OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…
