DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ wrap up M. bovis compensation support after $161M in claims
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
The VetSouth veterinary practice at Winton, Southland is still coming across clients unaware of the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis, says director and vet Mark Bryan.
Winton is close to one of the two main disease clusters, associated mainly with the Zeestraten family’s Southern Centre Dairies Ltd. The other cluster is around the Van Leeuwen Diary Group in South Canterbury, where Mycoplasma bovis was first identified in July 2017.
Suspecting the disease has been around at least a year earlier than 2017, VetSouth has posted an online survey form on its Facebook page, calling for anyone who has received animals or who knows of animal movements from a Zeestraten farm “anytime from 2016,” to either fill in the form or contact MPI directly.
Bryan says about 18 people have filled in the form, but VetSouth is passing responses straight to MPI. He cannot say whether any of the responses has led directly to new finds of the disease.
“The purpose of [the form] is the number of people who have lifestyle blocks and small numbers of calves, who don’t get access to normal communication channels such as DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ,” said Bryan.
“We quite often come across people who didn’t know about M. bovis; they’re just not in that loop.”
MPI also is calling for information on past contact with Southern Centre Dairies, asking for dairy or beef farmers with animals at high risk to make contact immediately.
“MPI is especially interested to hear from people who have received cattle or calves from Southland-based Southern Centre Dairies Ltd any time after January 1, 2016 and have not already been contacted by the ministry,” MPI said in a statement.
“Right now, we need to hear from any farmers who have bought cows and calves or milk for calf feed from farms that have been publicly identified as infected. If these farmers haven’t already heard from MPI through our tracing work, we would dearly like to hear from them.”
Bryan says it looks “very much” as though the disease has been around longer than thought, although that is “total supposition”.
The tracing indicates that cattle born in 2016 were infected, he says.
Following a recent overweight incursion that saw a Mid-Canterbury contractor cop a $12,150 fine, the rural contracting industry is calling time on what they consider to be outdated and unworkable regulations regarding weight and dimensions that they say are impeding their businesses.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says his officials plan to meet their US counterparts every month from now on to better understand how the 15% tariff issue there will play out, and try and get some certainty there for our exporters about the future.
A landmark New Zealand trial has confirmed what many farmers have long suspected - that strategic spring nitrogen use not only boosts pasture growth but delivers measurable gains in lamb growth and ewe condition.
It was recently announced that former MP and Southland farmer Eric Roy has stepped down of New Zealand Pork after seven years. Leo Argent talks with Eric about his time at the organisation and what the future may hold.
It's critical that the horticulture sector works together as part of a goal to double the sector’s exports by 2035.
RaboResearch, the research arm of specialist agriculture industry banker Rabobank, sees positives for the Alliance Group in its proposed majority-stake sale to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…
OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…