New Zealand’s biosecurity is vital for protecting our environment, economy and animal health. B+LNZ works with industry groups and government agencies to help develop robust biosecurity policy, systems and standards that are essential to protecting our sector.
Following is an update on important work B+LNZ is currently undertaking on behalf of our farmers.
Foot and mouth disease
Foot and mouth disease is the number one biosecurity concern for our sector. An outbreak would cost billions of dollars and be devastating for our sector and the New Zealand economy.
B+LNZ has been working with the Government and other industry groups over the last couple of years on a foot and mouth disease readiness and response plan. This is formalised through the Operational Agreement for foot and mouth disease. While keeping foot and mouth disease out remains the priority, this work ensures if it does arrive we can respond as quickly as possible and minimise the damage to our sector and economy.
These negotiations come under the Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response (GIA) which B+LNZ joined in 2018 following a farmer vote.
We will soon be going out to farmers to seek their approval of what has been negotiated in the Operational Agreement through a simple online vote.
B+LNZ will provide further detail on this agreement, and what the vote involves, over the coming weeks.
Mycoplasma bovis
The M. bovis eradication programme is moving from the eradication/response to surveillance phase and the levies collected will be reducing as a result. This involves surveillance for three years so we can be confident that M. bovis is absent from New Zealand. This means that:
- from 7 April 2025, the $1.80 per head levy on beef cattle paid to cover M. bovis response costs will stop as B+LNZ has now collected sufficient funds to cover historic liabilities from the response;
- from 1 June 2025, a levy of $0.80 per head in beef cattle will apply to cover the costs of surveillance under the terms of the National Pest Management Plan.
Moving from responding to M. bovis to proving absence of M. bovis is a major milestone in the programme and shows that the investment by farmers, and importantly the impact on individual farmers, is all leading towards a significant achievement as a country.
TB
The TBFree programme continues to make good progress, with only 12 infected cattle or deer herds across the country as at 1 April this year.
However, we can’t afford to be complacent, because while TB remains in wildlife, primarily possums, we can expect to continue to see re-infections.
There’s a 10-year statutory review of the programme currently underway, which is about checking that eradication is still the right goal and considering options to achieve that goal as effectively and quickly as possible, within current funding parameters. B+LNZ is a member of the Review Governance Group.
There will be an opportunity for farmers to provide input on future options, likely in June and July this year. B+LNZ will keep farmers updated, including on any submission processes.