The Ministry for Primary Industries, OSPRI and the country’s dairy and beef sectors are this week marking that New Zealand is on the home straight to eradicate the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis.

“Spring bulk tank milk testing across the country has found no sign of M. bovis. That’s a big win,” said MPI director-general Ray Smith.

“Thanks to the hard work of farmers, their sector bodies, MPI people, OSPRI and many others, there’s been no new M. bovis infection detected for two years and we can now enter the very final phase of the eradication programme called ‘confidence of absence’.”

OSPRI’s chief executive, Sam McIvor, said the “confidence of absence” phase required a further couple of years of testing to gather sufficient data to prove M. bovis had gone from the national herd, and to declare eradication.

“At that point, we’d be confident to declare freedom from the disease which will be a world-first eradication.

“These last two spring seasons (2024-25) of zero infections were important because this testing includes the new-born heifers from the year before, entering the milking herd for the first time. In many cases, this will be the first time these animals have been tested for M. bovis through the bulk milk tank testing process.

“Staying the course for the next period of surveillance will enable young cattle to become adults and be captured in the results.  

“But the good news is that, with the lower risk of disease now, we’ll no longer routinely use movement controls while investigating bulk tank milk detect results,” Mr McIvor said.

DairyNZ Chair Tracy Brown welcomes the news of the clear spring bulk tank milk testing.

“Without the collective effort of dairy and beef farmers, as well as the wider sector stakeholders, we wouldn’t be where we are today - with a stronger and more resilient biosecurity system.

“I encourage farmers to continue supporting this important programme – including by enabling testing on farm if required.”

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Chair Kate Acland said the M. bovis eradication programme had protected the sector from the productivity losses and animal welfare impacts of the disease.

“The progress to date is in large part due to the hard work and sacrifices of farmers and the wider pastoral sector.

“We need to maintain our focus for a little longer. One important way farmers can support this work is by keeping their NAIT records up to date. This is essential for preventing the spread of disease and supporting effective disease management."

The Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme is a 10-year, $870 million collaboration between the Government and industry partners DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand.

Allowing the disease to become endemic would have cost $1.3 billion in lost production in the firs t10 years alone and continued to burden the sector into the future.

The last transmission of M. bovis in cattle was on September 7,  2023 and the programme remains on track to achieve eradication by June 2028.