Veterinary Council of New Zealand offering support to weather-affected farms

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Weather-affected farms in the North Island, including Tairāwhiti, will get veterinary support thanks to funding provided through a new programme, facilitated by the Veterinary Council of New Zealand (VCNZ).

The initiative called Vets on Farm — supporting farm recovery has received $2.6 million from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to fund local veterinarians to provide on-farm advice and support.

“This includes farm systems reviews and planning, disease sampling and testing, herd health planning, with farm planning to focus on animal health and welfare,” said VCNZ chief executive and registrar Iain McLachlan.

“Veterinary clinics contracted by VCNZ will be contacting weather-affected animal farmers in Northland, Coromandel, Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay, Tararua and Wairarapa.

“We will be trying to register as many clinics as we can and for them to then contact as many farmers as possible by the end of December.”

Mr McLachlan said the on-farm work would  start in earnest in the New Year.

Farmers interested in benefiting from Vets on Farm should get in touch with their local vet.

“Vets on Farm will help animal farmers following the extreme climate issues they faced in 2023, ensuring they have healthy animals and a plan for their continued welfare and productivity,” he said.

“Results from the disease sampling and testing will be hugely beneficial in understanding the impact the weather events had on animal health and production.

“Another benefit from the project is reducing the risk of humans contracting diseases such as Leptospirosis, which has been seen to increase significantly after floods and cyclones.

“It’s important to ensure animals in affected areas are healthy and disease-free, as prevention is always better than cure.”

For further information about other initiatives receiving support through MPI’s North Island weather events funding, visit www.mpi.govt.nz/north-island-weather-events-recoveryfunding