M. bovis call was not an easy one
DAMIEN O'CONNOR OPINION: The Government and farming leaders’ decision to attempt the eradication of Mycoplasma bovis was not taken lightly.
No decision of this scale is easy. I’ve spent countless hours considering information from farmers, industry leaders, scientists, vets and officials. I’ve sought advice from Ireland, Australia and Europe.
I can travel from one end of the country to the other and one farmer will tell me that we should keep culling animals and another, in the same conversation, will tell me eradication is impossible.
In the end, Dairy NZ, Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb NZ, DCANZ, MIA and the Government chose to pursue eradication because we think we have a good chance of achieving it.
When we look at the current picture there are 37 infected properties and some 300 under controls of some kind. When we put that against the size of the national herd – more than 20,000 beef and dairy farms - to give up now is the wrong choice.
In recent weeks we have discovered more properties of interest and we will find more infected farms. For this reason, we will reassess the eradication programme early in 2019 after spring and early summer testing is completed and analysed.
I’ve spoken directly to farmers who are upset that herds are being destroyed. They say the medicine is worse than the cure. That has weighed on my thinking a lot. The stress and pain that is caused by depopulating farms and movement controls is not something I take lightly. I’m acutely aware of the strain placed on farmers.
I’ve instructed industry groups and the Ministry for Primary Industries to better coordinate their efforts, to make sure we are looking after each other and providing people with the information they need. The Rural Support Trusts are doing amazing work and I thank them for it.
Although farmers will differ on the rights and wrongs of yesterday’s decision, that is not a reason to sew discord and mistrust.
Now, more than ever, the farming community must support each other. I’d warn against any person trying to take advantage of those who are affected by the response.
Finally, as a former dairy farmer, I know that I wouldn’t want to turn up each day, for years, wondering which of my cows is going to get sick with Mycoplasma bovis. Yesterday’s decision is about protecting our best, most important and significant industry in the future.
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