New Zealand says it will kill 150,000 cows to fight disease
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand plans to slaughter about 150,000 cows as it tries to eradicate a strain of disease-causing bacteria from the national herd.
Politicians and industry leaders announced the ambitious plan on Monday. They say it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and, if successful, would be the first time an infected country has eliminated Mycoplasma bovis.
Farming is vital to the economy in New Zealand, whose isolation has helped protect it from some diseases which affect herds elsewhere.
Last July, Mycoplasma bovis was found in the country for the first time. Found in Europe and the U.S., the bacteria can cause cows to develop mastitis, pneumonia, arthritis and other diseases. They are not considered a threat to food safety but do cause production losses.
Officials say they plan to kill all cows on any farms where the bacteria are found, even if some of the animals are healthy. They say many cows will be slaughtered at processing plants and used for beef, but some will have to be killed and buried on the farms or dumped in approved landfills.
Officials have the legal authority to forcibly enter farms and kill animals even in cases where a farmer might resist, but they said they hope they don't have to use those powers.
Katie Milne, the national president of the advocacy group Federated Farmers, said it was important to try to get rid of Mycoplasma bovis while there was still a chance. She said they would try to make sure affected farmers had all the support they needed, including adequate compensation.
New Zealand is home to some 10 million cows, about double its human population. About twothirds are dairy cows and the rest beef cattle. Milk products represent the country's largest single export, and much of it is sold to China and used in infant formula.
Mycoplasma bovis has so far been found on 38 farms throughout New Zealand, officials say.