The Ministry for Primary Industries' Incident Controller for the Mycoplasma bovis response Dave Yard had a message for New Zealand's farming community after news that the cattle disease has now spread to 17 farms.
Yard spoke to The Country and advised farmers to practise good on-farm biosecurity and keep adequate records with the NAIT system.
Most importantly, Yard says MPI is urging rural people to support each other.
"Please don't ostracise one of your neighbours because you've heard through the grapevine they might have had a blood test."
Although the cattle disease has spread to nine farms in South Canterbury, five in Southland, two in Mid Canterbury and one in Hawke's Bay, Yard is still "reasonably hopeful" that MPI can eradicate Mycoplasma bovis altogether.
