Time is running out for farmers to have their say as the Mycoplasma bovis partners propose to move the disease eradication programme from the Ministry for Primary Industries.
The MPI, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand are seeking farmers’ views on the proposed National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) as the cross-sector effort moves to a new phase that is expected to create savings and efficiencies for farmers.
OSPRI has been nominated as the management agency in the NPMP proposal.
With natural synergies in running the M bovis programme alongside NAIT and the TBFree Programme, there is potential for up to $15 million in savings across the three programmes.
Combining resources and capability will allow the programme to continue to adapt to the work that remains ahead and help strengthen NZ’s biosecurity system, the MPI said.
The NPMP consultation closes on October 23.
The full NPMP proposal and how to make a submission can be found on the MPI website Administration of the Mycoplasma bovis Eradication Programme | NZ Government (mpi.govt.nz).
Meanwhile since a new infected property was identified last month in Canterbury a further 11 properties are now being tested under a Notice of Direction with several others to be tested without movement restrictions.
All the properties requiring testing to date are in Canterbury.
Mbovis director Simon Andrew said while the strain type, ST21, is confirmed to be the same strain as other historically infected properties, the link is not yet clear with investigation continuing around this.
“Spring Bulk Tank Milk hasn’t identified any other infection to date and we continue to have a broad surveillance programme across NZ cattle farms.
“As we have previously said, all evidence indicates we are in the tail end of the outbreak, and we expect to find more infection before we achieve our goal of eradication.
“With spring breeding underway we encourage farmers to be vigilant with their NAIT recording and to talk to their breeding centres about actions taken to mitigate the risk of M bovis transmission via AI, such as using semen imported under the current Import Health standard,” Andrew said.
