There are 28 properties infected with Mycoplasma bovis in New Zealand and 27 of those are in the South Island. Should there be a blockade at Cook Strait to stop the spread of the cattle disease?
This is the question The Country's Jamie Mackay put to MPI's Manager for Compliance Investigation, Gary Orr.
Orr says the idea has been "considered" in other parts of the organisation, although his brief at the Ministry for Primary Industries is to do with setting up the NAIT checking regime at the top of the South Island.
"Everything has looked kosher so far but over the next couple of days we'll start looking at the NAIT animal movement records to see if they've been registered as required and if they haven't then we'll obviously follow that up."
National Animal Identification & Tracing (NAIT) is a system used by farmers to trace livestock and Orr says it is "really disappointing" that only 57% of farmers have been recording movements.
