The Ministry for Primary Industries has confirmed that all cattle on properties infected with the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis will be culled.

The operation will begin today, with nearly 22,500 cattle to be killed on the 22 farms with cattle remaining on them.

It comes after farmers called The Country before the news was officially announced,  many of them extremely upset by the news.

The disease was first confirmed in July last year.

Since then MPI has introduced milk testing, surveillance programmes and inspections to cattle crossing the Cook Strait to combat the disease spreading.

The Country's Rowena Duncum told Andrew Dickens it's been a long road to reach a decision on eradication.

"No one wants to be culling animals on this magnitude in any way shape or form, but if that's what it will take to eradicate this disease, that's what they are prepared to do."

LISTEN TO ROWENA DUNCUM TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVE