Many questions

One question I have never seen raised in the M. bovis situation is how the disease arrived in New Zealand. Was it released in a larger dairy farming area, which was once home to tens of thousands of sheep; and onto a large-scale dairy farming operation, where bio-security would have been a very important matter for the welfare of animals and the owner’s investment and operations?

One knows the actions of the past by groups and persons towards dairy farming, and what a great way to hurt dairy farmers, and also reduce the number of dairy cows at the same time.

One is of the view that if this disease entered the country either in the form of frozen semen or embryo implant, that the outbreak would have occurred on other farms as well.

Information we are receiving suggests that all cases today have been traced to just one farm being the source, which has spread to other farms, e.g by animal movement or milk.

If frozen semen or embryo implants are the cause, then it should not be hard to trace the source, as such is very well recorded, both by MPI, LIC, CRV and others, along with the farmer himself, for many reasons.

It does not appear that the disease has arrived in New Zealand in palm kernel or other imported stock feeds etc, or arrived on the farm from another farm by the way of purchase of cattle or brought-in feed from other farms.

So we get back to human involvement. Was the disease deliberate? Has it entered the country by an immigrant worker, e.g clothing, footwear, etc, or is it possible some people may be carriers unbeknown to science?

Many questions to date but no answers, only a lot of heartache, stress and uncertainty for those involved, and I do not believe that the slaughter of 150,000 plus animals will resolve the problem.

The money would be better spent on research in attempts to control it, along with money invested into border security, as many things appear to be crossing our border that are unwanted pests and diseases.

I believe this M. bovis outbreak is a sign we should all be aware of New Zealand is an exporter of high-grade food and protein, not an importer of pests and diseases, as we enter into more free trade deals, and the loss of our export markets, to purchase what we need, not want, as at present.

Foot and mouth disease is not far from our borders it is not a case of if it arrives, it’s only a case of when, along with many other pests and diseases knocking on our back door with changing weather patterns.

We are at the mercy of nature.

Fools and greed go hand in hand, not considering the evil they do. JOHN BASSETT

Diggers’ Valley

who loves what we loosely call political correctness. Where has it come from? A really good short story that captures how ridiculous we can be is the one written by Hans Christian Anderson , ironically in 1837, The Emperor’s New Clothes . Indoctrination and stereotyping have been around a long time.

It’s a great read; A kid’s book, so even I got it.

Once again, great editorials Mr Jackson. Keep it going.

MIKE MITCALFE

Kaitaia