Royal Agricultural Society beef chairman Mark Fleming said the cattle disease has thrown a new set of responsibilities at show committees.
“Through the RAS conference we made it clear that we are working with the Ministry for Primary Industries and put it back on individual associations to make their own decisions.
“If they can put robust systems in place to run cattle at their shows, protect breeders, exhibitors and the industry then they can run with it,” Fleming said.
“But we do urge caution as show committees make plans because they will be required to abide by MPI response-approved guidelines.
“There’s a number of shows around the country that are not sure they can successfully run a cattle section but there are others keen to make it work.”
Fleming said Canterbury A&P staged the largest cattle section of any show in the country, catering for 13 cattle breeds with up to 40 entries in any one class.
Canterbury is working hard to maintain cattle at its show in November and has been consulting exhibitors to formulate guidelines.
Once guidelines are established and approved by MPI the association will engage further with exhibitors and breeders before making a final decision.
“My feeling is we need to keep it happening. If we stop now it will be hard to get started again,” Fleming said.
“It is our intention to ensure we are following best practice and creating guidelines that exhibitors are still happy to abide if entering.”
Fleming hopes Canterbury’s guidelines can become a template to share with NZ’s wider A&P movement.
He urged show committees to give their decisions careful thought, suggesting they look outside the square to keep cattle involved if possible.
At the very least he suggested shows have a cattle exhibition with just a handful of exhibitors taking cattle and include an educational theme around that.
“Look at promoting young judge/handler classes where only one cattle exhibitor brings the cattle for this purpose.
“Maybe there’s a chance of doing an on-farm judging exercise.
“Could youngsters still raise a calf and send in a video or a virtual via their phone for judging at the show.
“Whatever decision is made it’s vital that we keep our cattle exhibitors engaged as once gone it will be very difficult to get them back in say five years or even 10 if eradication plans go on that long.”
Many shows have made their decision.
In the South Island spring shows including Ashburton, Rangiora and Ellesmere have canned their cattle sections this year.
Cattle will also be conspicuous by their absence at the Hawera and Waikato A&P shows this season while the annual NZ Dairy Event that this year banned South Island exhibitors from attending has already cancelled its January 2019 show.
