Less TB testing for cattle and deer farmers

The success of the TB eradication scheme lead by the Animal Health board should be applauded, as the rate of infection continues to drop, and herd testing requirements are reduced.

This will be welcomed by all beef and deer farmers as the control of TB imposed big costs on many farmers.

Deer farmers fought this animal health issue with a no compensation policy, and in many early infected herds big costs of culling were inflicted on some operators.

But this hard nosed approach, a science supported refined testing procedures, coupled with extensive feral animal controls, has seen this disease close to being brought under control.

However continued feral wild life control will needed if we are to maintain our low infection status, that is helping  to keep our trading competitors from imposing trading barriers against us. 

More than 5000 cattle and deer herds across NZ have had their bovine tuberculosis (TB) movement control restrictions and testing requirements reduced. Animal Health Board Technical and Farm Services Manager, Dr Stu Hutchings, said the reduction is due to falling herd infection rates and a strong focus on TB-infected wildlife control. “The changes will no doubt be welcomed by NZ's farmers,” Dr Hutchings said in Scoop.

“The Animal Health Board (AHB) will implement its updated TB control strategy later this year, with a strong focus on wildlife disease control. The updated strategy aims to eradicate TB from wildlife in some areas, leading to even less testing for farmers.“The fact remains that TB-infected wildlife, particularly possums, are the main source of the disease in farmed cattle and deer,” Dr Hutchings said.

The majority of the changes to TB testing and movement control boundaries will affect farmers in the southern South Island. Some 250 herds in south Kaipara, 341 herds in Hawke’s Bay and about 100 herds in the Atiamuri area will also benefit from less TB testing. In the southern South Island, the success of the AHB’s wildlife control programme has led to the removal of pre-movement TB testing restrictions for 187 herds. However, it is important to note these herds still require an annual TB test.

More than 2480 southern South Island herds that have previously been tested every two years will now be tested every three years and 945 herds will move from an annual to once every two-year testing regime.“The AHB is proud to once again deliver some direct benefits to the cattle and deer herds registered with the organisation. We have achieved this through focused possum control and other wildlife surveillance. Yet none of it would have been possible without the help and co-operation of farmers,” Dr Hutchings said.