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Government to try eradicating cow disease M. Bovis

Author
Jamie Gray, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 28 May 2018, 4:05PM

Government to try eradicating cow disease M. Bovis

Author
Jamie Gray, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 28 May 2018, 4:05PM

More than 150,000 cattle will be culled in a world-first bid to eradicate cattle disease Mycloplasma bovis (M. Bovis).

The Government says it has reached an agreement with farming sector leaders to attempt to eradicate the disease from New Zealand.

The cull, of around 126,000 in addition to the 26,000 already underway, will take place over one to two years.

The estimated cost of eradication came to $886 million, to be spent over the next 10 years.

"Today's decision to eradicate is driven by the Government's desire to protect the national herd from the disease and to protect the base of economy - the farming sector," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

"This is a tough call - no one ever wants to see mass culls. But the alternative is the spread of the disease across our national herd," she said.

The Government will meet 68 per cent of the cost and Dairy NZ and Beef and Lamb New Zealand will meet 32 per cent.

Ardern said there was "real chance" of eradication to protect the more than 20,000 dairy and beef farms.

Culling will involve all cattle on infected properties along with cattle on most restricted properties.

All infected farms found in future will be "de-populated".

Following depopulation, they will be disinfected and lie fallow for 60 days after which they can be restocked.

About 4.2 million cattle are slaughtered annually in New Zealand, this includes 1 million dairy cattle, 1.4 million beef cattle and 1.8 million calves.

It said it was confident meat processors could handle the increased cull.

About half of the 23,000 cattle to be culled as a result of the outbreak, which is not harmful to humans, have been slaughtered already.

As at May 24, the number of infected farms was 37, in Waikato, Hawke's Bay, Manawatū, Canterbury, Otago and Southland.

High-risk animal movements have been traced to 3000 farms. About 300 properties are in biosecurity lockdown and 858 are under surveillance.

No country with M. Bovis has managed to eradicate the disease. Until July last year, when the first case was reported in a South Canterbury farm, New Zealand was one of only two countries that were free of M. Bovis. Norway is now the only one

 

 

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