Biosecurity award for M. bovis work
A small company which mobilised veterinarians around the country to deal with Mycoplasma bovis was one of the winners in this year's Biosecurity Awards, held at Parliament.
A rapid antigen test (RAT) aimed at early detection of facial eczema (FE) in ruminants may help manage a disease that costs the New Zealand economy millions of dollars each year.
The Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund is investing more than $35,000 in a project with Tokaora Diagnostics to develop a prototype FE RAT and undertake field testing. The test could be used with sheep, cattle and deer, but initial trials will focus on dairy cattle.
FE is caused by a toxin found in fungal spores that grows on dead and dying plant matter in warm, moist conditions The damage is does to the liver causes the body to be unable to process waste and, along with a breakdown of chlorophyll in the skin, leads to heightened photosensitivity. This gives the pronounced sunburn and cracked skin that gives the disease its name.
MPI’s director of investment programmes Steve Penno says that, as a liver disease, facial eczema often doesn’t show physical symptoms until it’s too late to save the animal.
“FE is a long-standing issue for our agricultural sector and with climate change it’s expected to get worse as the spores that cause the disease are more likely to grow.”
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
There have been leadership changes at the Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, which has been struggling financially in recent years.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
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Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.
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