M. bovis eradication is possible
After a tough 2018 for many dairy farmers who have been tackling devastating cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis, or working hard to prevent it getting on farm, an announcement comes as a positive indication that eradication is possible.
The Technical Advisory Group’s report on the Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) eradication programme provides encouraging progress.
“DairyNZ has been on this journey since the moment we knew this disease had arrived in New Zealand, and today will come as a relief to many farmers,” said Jim van der Poel, chairman of DairyNZ.
“The collaborative approach with the government, Beef+Lamb NZ and other partners and organisations has worked extremely well and together we are making a difference to all our farmers.
“It hasn’t been easy for the 1000 farmers affected, whether they were under active surveillance or restriction, or the disease was found on their farm. DairyNZ is here to support our farmers and we are actively involved every day in managing this disease out of New Zealand, whether it’s providing advice on biosecurity measures on farm, or through the on the ground teams supporting impacted farmers.”
“The DairyNZ, Beef+Lamb NZ Compensation Assistance Team (DBCAT) has now grown to 24 team members and are available to help farmers put their claims together. We know there have been challenges with the compensation package, and we now have people on the ground to help farmers work through the details — it is getting better.
“Thank you to everyone involved in the response to Mycoplasma bovis. This has truly been a team effort, not just of those within MPI, DairyNZ or B+LNZ, but also every dairy and beef farmer across New Zealand.
“How we fund our portion of the response will be determined through a levy consultation in the new year with our farmers,” van der Poel said. k When I am out in an orchard on a beautiful Bay of Plenty day, among the great big avocados trees with their glossy leaves, watching bees pollinate the thousands of flowers, I feel that nature is just happening all around me. At times like that I, and I’m sure many readers, dream a little of being an avocado grower.
But there are times as we are experiencing now, with periods of unbelievably heavy and non-stop rain, of hail as we had in parts of the Bay in December, when the consequences of that weather play havoc on an expected annual crop.
Our packers and exporters are faced with a significant challenge to harvest avocados to meet market orders, but cannot harvest in the rain and try to avoid harvesting for a few hours after heavy rain. And when the soil is sodden, heavy machinery makes an absolute mess of the orchard. The torrential rain of early summer didn’t help this season’s fruit hang on to the tree, and add a bit of wind and that crop that looked profitable a few months ago, starts to lose its gloss.
Summer hail saw some growers have more than 20 percent of their next year’s crop damaged, with visible hail marks on the fruit that is still only the size of the tip of your little finger.
Such climatic events, as we seem to experience more often, start to make the dream described above, suddenly less appealing. That makes me realise a grower has to have real passion to grow a horticultural crop. As a business person, I know there will be challenges in my work, but most of those I can do something about.
The challenges of climate are much
“This is important as the government is funding 68 per cent of the costs of the response, and dairy approximately 30 per cent.”
Dairy farmers will receive information in the post in the new year. more difficult for a grower to mitigate, and at the same time have the potential to be much more damaging. It is important to recognise the effort that is going in to your delicious avocados, the result of hard work from our growers and their supply chain partners.
I hope this lovely weather has allowed our growers to relax a little over the Christmas period. Many will have continued to harvest, as exporters have orders in Australia until mid-February. But calmer weather is requested please Mr Weather-man, to allow that new fruit to grow and the current season’s fruit to hang on to the tree until it is harvested.
From me and the team at NZ Avocado we hope all of the readers had a very Merry Christmas. I encourage you to check out our website for some great summer avocado recipes. My trick on Christmas day was to put avocado under the skin of the turkey before I roasted it — the good fats and delicious creaminess soaked into the turkey as it cooked and prevented it drying out.
Try it — you’ll love it!