Stock compliance ‘betrayal’
A leader behind the creation of a livestock tracing system has called the Ministry for Primary Industries ‘‘asleep at the wheel’’ over its failure to monitor farmer compliance.
The lack of enforcement for the National Animal Identification and Tracing (Nait) system had let down farmers who were following the rules, Tirau dairy farmer Ted Coats said. Coats was heavily involved in Nait’s establishment in 2012, acting as its dairy industry representative, overseeing its software as well as serving on the board of Ospri, the group that manages the Nait system.
‘‘I put about eight year of my life into this, I believe in it totally and I believe it’s a necessity, which has been proven by this [Mycoplasma bovis disease] exercise and I’m seriously disappointed that it hasn’t shown the value that it could have otherwise.’’ Under Nait, farmers are required to fit all cattle and deer with electronic tags and register animals within a national database. The scheme helps officials quickly trace animal movements if there is a biosecurity incursion.
If MPI had better enforced noncompliance before the outbreak of M. bovis in July last year, it would have sent a message to farmers to follow the rules, Coats said.
In March, he made an Official Information Act request for all reports authored by MPI staff on the Nait system containing observations or analysis on its effectiveness or whether it was fit for its purpose. MPI replied there had been no report made. The ministry had previously criticised farmers for their low Nait compliance rates. Coats said the lack of enforcement or a review was a ‘‘betrayal of New Zealand agriculture.’’ This month the government released a long awaited report based on the findings of a review on Nait’s performance by an independent committee. The report identified the need for more enforcement.
Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor said Nait enforcement had been ‘‘pathetic’’ and he was committed to fixing it. ‘‘The issue whether the MPI or Nait is responsible is a moot point. Clearly the previous government had no interest in following through with enforcement and ensuring the system was effective. The MPI is under clear instructions under me and there’s no doubt they have as their responsibility a role in making sure the system works properly.’’ In December, he told officials to take a tougher approach with farmers who were not meeting their Nait obligations. Fines of up to $10,000 could be issued for non-compliance under the Nait Act 2012.