The Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) eradication programme has hit a significant milestone, with just a single infected property remaining.
The announcement from the Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister on Thursday morning comes as the Government confirms a more than $100 million investment in biosecurity work as part of Budget 2022. Of that, $42.9 million will go towards bolstering the biosecurity system and $68 million towards M. bovis eradication.
Since July 2017, when samples taken from a South Canterbury dairy herd came back positive for M. bovis, the disease - which can cause serious issues for cattle - has been detected at 272 properties across the country.
All but one have since been cleared since the Government started its eradication programme in 2018, Jacinda Ardern and Damien O'Connor said on Thursday. The remaining property with M. bovis isn't a working farm, but a large beef feed-lot. Planning is underway to start clearing it later this year.
"When we took our one shot to eradicate we did so to protect our national herd from a painful disease, our economy from a sharp shock, and our rural communities from widespread anxiety," Prime Minister Ardern said.
"Our partnership with the primary sector was critical. No one in the world had attempted to eradicate M. bovis before, and if we were going to try something that had never been done, we needed to do so together."
More than 176,000 cattle have been culled and Ardern acknowledged it's been "tough" for farmers. About $220.3 million has been paid out in compensation for 2741 claims, with 10 being assessed currently.
Five farms continue to be under a Notice of Direction (NoD), meaning it's believed taking stock from the property could spread M. bovis, but that's down from 113 at the same time in 2019. The average time farms spend under a NoD has dropped from 97 days in 2019 to 27 days over the past two years.
Agriculture Minister O'Connor said that although occasional finds of M. bovis cannot be ruled out, it's the "right time" to consider how the eradication programme will be delivered in the future.
"Our partners, including the Ministry for Primary Industries, are working on a transition of the M. bovis Eradication Programme to an agency under a National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) and will provide me with a proposal for consideration," he said.
"The plan will take into account what will work for farmers and will be open for public consultation in the second half of the year, with implementation next year.
"We are at an important juncture. We are aiming to move from delimiting – controlling the last known pockets of the disease – to provisional absence. This will be followed by significant surveillance testing of herds around the country to provide assurance there are no undetected pockets of disease."
The National Beef Surveillance programme tested more than 385,000 animals last year, with no infected properties being found through that method. Bulk Tank Milk screening conducted nearly 100,000 tests in 2021, with 179 detected results and three confirmed properties.
The new funding as part of Budget 22 is important as "we face challenges and pests and diseases" as the world reopens from the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate warms.
"New Zealand’s primary sector revenue has continued to grow with a record $50.8 billion forecast for the year ending June 2022 and it is vital that farmers’ and growers’ work is protected by a strong biosecurity system," he said.
"This support is aimed at protecting biodiversity, bolstering biosecurity, improving marine system resilience, and enabling climate resilience. A strong biosecurity system helps protect the productivity of New Zealand’s most important export sector and guard our taonga species."
The Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister toured the national bulk milk testing lab at MilkTestNZ in Waikato on Thursday alongside DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ.
"This programme has at times been challenging for farmers and it’s important we acknowledge that. That work means we are now on a clear path to eradication and this transition will help maintain that status," said DairyNZ chairman Jim van der Poel.
"To protect the sacrifices and investment made, it’s important our farmers continue to manage their herds well, particularly through the national animal tracing system (NAIT). We’ve come a long way and what we are doing here is watched and discussed by other farming countries."
Beef + Lamb chairman Andrew Morrison agreed farmers were at the centre of the work.
"We will also maintain close governance oversight of the programme in the transition to an agency. We really want to hear from farmers during their consultation later this year.
"I encourage farmers to ensure they know where their cattle are coming from, to record movements and to have good on-farm biosecurity practices."
A study released by the University of Otago last year found the eradication programme had been "traumatic" for farmers. The researchers found farmers' local knowledge was largely ignored in favour of "inefficient bureaucratic processes".
The start of the rollout of the plan didn't go down well with some farmers, with a Newshub investigation in 2019 finding major shortcomings and the Director-General of the Ministry of Primary Industries apologising to farmers for how the programme was handled. An independent review last year found improvements had been made.
