Disease threat cancels dairy heifer comp
Organisers have made the tough decision to drop a commercial dairy heifer competition to avoid the risk of spreading Mycoplasma bovis.
The Royal Agricultural Societyrun dairy heifer competitions for Southland, Otago and Canterbury, as well as the South Island competition, which are run yearly through March and April, will not be held this year.
South Island competition convenor Merv Livingstone said the southern district of the agricultural society had made the tough call to cancel the competition because of the possible risk of further spreading the cow disease.
M. bovis has been found at 24 confirmed infected properties. Three Southern Centre Dairies properties in Winton were the first in Southland where the disease was identified in December.
The disease has also spread to properties in Lumsden, Invercargill, and Gore.
Livingstone said it was disappointing to have to cancel the competition for this year, but he hoped it would be able to resume as normal next year.
The decision to not hold the competition was made to protect farms from possible infection.
‘‘We don’t know where it all is. It is disappointing, but we can’t do much to control that.’’
In western Southland, where Livingstone also convenes the competition, it would be the first time in 25 years the competition had not run. Up to 6500 heifers can be entered into regional competitions each year.
Livingstone said not having the competitions left a hole in the showing calendar. However, it was not worth the risk of spreading the disease, he said.
Elsewhere, A&P shows throughout Southland and Otago have gone without cattle categories to take precautions against spreading the cow disease.
Federated Farmers Southland president Allan Baird said the decision to exclude cattle from shows was made because it would be safer to keep them at home.
‘‘It was a general consensus from organisers and those wanting to enter their cattle that it would have been more straightforward to postpone at the moment.’’
He had not heard of any other cattle events that had been postponed so far, but said it was likely similar decisions would be made for other events in coming months.
The Ministry for Primary Industries has recommended limiting cattle movement to reduce the risk of spreading the disease.