Northland farmers to get Mycoplasma bovis update today

An update on the Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme will be given in Whangārei today.

Northland farmers can get an update on the Government's Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme in Whangārei today.

Northland is one of five regions in New Zealand MPI figures currently show to have farms with confirmed active presence of the disease along with (in ranked order) Canterbury, Southland, Otago and Hawke's Bay. The disease's presence predominates in Canterbury and the South Island generally.

The South Island has 12 properties under the strongest "restricted place notice" quarantine control category for confirmed active, M. bovis presence, along with the six North Island properties, bringing New Zealand's total number of properties in this category to 18.

The "restricted place notice" quarantine category has been placed on 14 Northland properties since the national eradication campaign began. Nine are now cleared and five properties remain. A further 55 properties have been in the second-strongest "notice of direction" quarantine category for the possibility of having the disease. Of these, 32 are now cleared and 23 properties remain.

Both these quarantine categories are issued under the Biosecurity Act 1993.

Latest Ministry for Primary Industry (MPI) figures in New Zealand's almost $1 billion M. bovis eradication campaign show Northland has five currently active confirmed M. bovis properties - the biggest number of farms in this category in the North Island. These farms are under the eradication campaign's strongest "restricted place notice" quarantine category.

At today's meeting, MPI, Beef + Lamb New Zealand and DairyNZ will give Northland farmers an update on the M. Bovis eradication programme, the situation in Northland and services and support for farmers. There will be an opportunity to ask questions, increase knowledge and understanding of the disease, and learn how to reduce biosecurity risk by implementing good management practice.

• Today's meeting is at the Barge Showgrounds Events Centre, Maunu, from 8.45am to 1.30pm.