Did a whole lot of new data pop up over the weekend?
It’s enough to make you wonder just what’s going on with those entrusted to keep us safe from disease.
Farmers spoken to by Farmers Weekly say possum trapping in the infected area has dropped off in recent years. One who’s lived in several regional council zones said that possum control programmes were not the same from region to region.
This couldn’t have come at a worse time. Weaner fairs are coming up in a few weeks and with the dry summer farmers are looking to move stock off farm to free up some feed.
With the need for testing and a stand down period things could grind to a halt.
That’s a headache farmers don’t need as they budget feed supplies and look to maximise returns in a falling market.
The Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme, despite reassurances from those leading it, remains on track. We’re told this despite more that 100 thousand animals killed and a still-rising number of infected properties.
Farmer confidence in the ability of regulators, councils and ministries to take care of our borders and farms is eroding pretty quickly. This latest TB outbreak just adds to the uncertainty.
Just last week the Government was trumpeting the eradication of pea weevils from Wairarapa. That’s great for arable farmers there who can add another lucrative crop to the rotation.
But beef is our bread and butter in New Zealand and keeping stock flowing around the yards and around the country is vital.
Without transparency and the certainty information brings, farmers can’t function.
Bryan Gibson
