Salmonellosis Surge: MPI reports rising cases in New Zealand cattle
Salmonellosis is a serious disease in cattle.
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says the plan will provide farmers with a one-stop shop for disease management and traceability.
A national pest management plan to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) will come into effect by the end of this year.
The plan, approved by the Coalition Government, was proposed by the programme partners DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). It will shift M bovis accountability from MPI to OSPRI.
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says this is a hard-fought step forward for farmers and will provide them with a one-stop shop for disease management and traceability.
OSPRI works with the farming industry to manage animal disease and provides the National Animal Identification Tracing system.
“The move will help take advantage of efficiencies and protect our investment in eradication made to date,” Hoggard says.
“The eradication was estimated to cost $870 million in 2018, a significant investment in our farming sector from the Crown and farmers, who have contributed 32% of the funding.
“It is important we protect this investment and the hard work of all involved, including the sacrifices made by farmers, by ensuring the fit-for-purpose M. bovis Plan is implemented.
“At present we have no infected farms, and we are focused on the national surveillance of cattle. There’s more to do before we reach the end of this journey, and it is possible we will find more infection before we get there but the move to a national pest management plan is another big step forward.
“The plan will ensure that OSPRI has the tools needed to continue to build on the success achieved.
“I want to thank DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand for their support. The partnership approach has set this response apart and is a great example of how government and industry working together can achieve better results for all. but most of all I want to recognise the intense stress and emotional toll that has been felt by the farmers that have been caught up in this response”.
M. bovis stats
Federated Farmers says almost 2000 farmers have signed a petition launched this month to urge the Government to step in and provide certainty while the badly broken resource consent system is fixed.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
According to analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), New Zealand red meat exports reached $827 million in October, a 27% increase on the same period last year.
The black and white coat of Holstein- Friesian cows is globally recognised as a symbol of dairy farming and a defining trait of domestic cattle. But until recently, scientists didn’t know which genes were responsible for the Holstein’s spots.
According to the New Zealand Dairy Statistics 2024/25 report, New Zealand dairy farmers are achieving more with fewer cows.

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