What started as a punt, has become a relatively successful story in eradicating Mycoplasma bovis from New Zealand.

Only one farm is left with the infection.

It has been cleared from 271 farms - but not without herds lost, generations of genetics gone and claims from more than 2700 cases.

Dairy New Zealand chair Jim van der Poel told Mike Hosking says it's been worth the shot.

“We took a punt and said let’s have a crack at this, we’ve got a once in a lifetime opportunity here to have a crack to try and get rid of this and so we’ve had a go at it and it looks like at this stage we’re winning that battle.”

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