The lift on restrictions will come into effect on March 1 and follows years of extensive pest control that decreased the risk of infection in the area.
About 190,000 hectares in North Canterbury will have the MCA status removed with more than 370 herds affected.
Nigel Fraser’s Canterbury farm was in the area and the change meant his herds would move to yearly testing programmes rather than having to TB test within 60 days of moving stock off farm as was required in a MCA.
With more than 34 years of farming in the area, Fraser had seen the rise in herd TB infections. In the mid-1990s there were nearly 1700 infected herds in New Zealand compared to fewer than 60 today.
He had some advice for farmers still in an MCA.
“Continue your support for the pest control and your time will come.
“This has been an expensive move to clean NZ of the disease. It has taken many years, man hours and money to get where we are now.”
Fraser said the move to annual TB testing meant less hassle.
“It is less of a chore to move stock and animals off farm, which is great. I have 400 cattle moving in May – (no more pre-movement testing) will save two visits to the yard.”
For west Otago sheep and beef farmer Geoff Brown, moving out of an MCA also meant being able to get on with the business of farming.
“It’s the greatest news that we have had for years.
“It changes everything. Now I’ll only need to have one test for the heifers and the bulls.”
From March 1 about 65,000ha of west Otago would no longer be classed as an MCA or be subject to pre-movement testing.
ANNUAL: West Otago sheep and beef farmer Geoff Brown says having to test only once a year for TB will have its advantages when farming in dry conditions.
