NZ nears Mycoplasma bovis eradication milestone
A major milestone on New Zealand's unique journey to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis could come before the end of this year.
Biosecurity officials have reported the bizarre discovery of two massive ostrich eggs in the luggage of a passenger at Auckland airport.
A Ministry for Primary Industries quarantine inspector intercepted the undeclared eggs during a recent baggage search of a South African passport holder who had arrived from Melbourne.
The two whole eggs with yolk each weighed around 1.5kg. They were found loosely wrapped in newspaper.
The passenger was fined $400 and will face increased scrutiny by biosecurity officials if they make further flights to New Zealand, says operational support coordinator Steve Gay.
He says the eggs posed a high biosecurity risk to New Zealand.
"There was the chance they could be carrying avian diseases. And we can't write off the idea that the eggs were going to be used for breeding," he says.
"It beggars belief that the passenger could possibly forget to declare something so obvious in size and so risky for our primary sector and environment.
"Air passengers pass more than 30 signs asking them to declare or dispose risk items before they even speak to a quarantine inspector."
A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.
Funding is proving crucial for predator control despite a broken model reliant on the goodwill of volunteers.
A major milestone on New Zealand's unique journey to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis could come before the end of this year.
We're working through it, and we'll get to it.
The debate around New Zealand's future in the Paris Agreement is heating up.
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.