Foot and mouth will happen
Foot and mouth’s arrival in New Zealand is ‘‘just a matter of time’’, says a DairyNZ expert. DairyNZ biosecurity readiness and response manager Chris Morley had a chilling but timely message for 200 farmers who gathered for the Lincoln University Dairy Farm field day.
‘‘We all hear about foot and mouth disease, and we all assume it will never happen here. I can guarantee it will happen and its just a matter of time,’’ he said.
Morley spoke just hours before Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) announced the move to slaughter 4000 dairy cattle to contain the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak in Canterbury on Thursday.
‘‘Two years ago MPI did a large study to look at what it would cost if foot and mouth came to New Zealand and for a small to medium size outbreak we are talking $16 billion off GDP,’’ Morley said.
‘‘Borders would close, and interest rates would go up. It would impact everyone.
‘‘It will happen, it’s just a matter of time.
‘‘That’s why it’s important to look at on-farm biosecurity.
‘‘There are things we can do day-to-day that will minimise the impact of foot and mouth - how far can it get before we find it, and how quickly we can stop it moving around,’’ Morley said.
Chris Norton of Selwyn-Rakaia Vet Services spoke of his time spent containing the foot and mouth outbreak in the United Kingdom 15 years ago.
‘‘I was part of a contingent of New Zealand vets and spent a year on the job. I wiped out hundreds of thousands of cows. I took out entire valleys. We destroyed the farming because we had to.
‘‘[The farmers] had to start over again. So I have experienced foot and mouth first hand.
‘‘That is the worst case scenario, and it would cripple us.’’
Foot and mouth was by far the most critical threat to New Zealand biosecurity, but even lice, ringworm or pinkeye were hazards, Morley said.
Over the past three years, DairyNZ has carried out an animal husbandry compliance survey.
Talking to a random selection of dairy farmers, one of the questions asked was ‘‘which diseases keep you awake at night?’’
Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) was number one, Morley said.
‘‘Fortunately we know its one of the diseases we can manage.
‘‘Bovine tuberculosis was number two. We have got that right down to 50 odd outbreaks a year.’’
‘‘When we look at those diseases, some we are making a difference with and some are challenging.
‘‘BVD we have good tests. Some of the more challenging ones like rotavirus are harder to control.’’
When farmers thought about on-farm biosecurity they often thought of animal disease, Morley said. But other risks such as pasture weeds and insect pests were costly for day to day farming
‘‘We’ve seen velvetleaf, the worst weed in the world in fodder beet. How come we’ve imported it accidentally into the country, and no one was looking for it?
‘‘I find that staggering. We know a lot about animal disease, but the plant stuff is new and it is where our risks are.
‘‘There is a significant cost in controlling this.’’
DairyNZ levy money was being spent so scientists could understand the risks, he said.
There are measures farmers could take to protect their property from biosecurity hazards, Morley said.
They include considering the disease status of animals brought onto a property; asking visitors to have clean equipment, clothing, and footwear; preventing nose-tonose contact with neighbouring stock; giving young calves particular attention; identifying potential weeds and pasture pests, and controlling animal diseases.