Friday, March 29, 2024

THE VOICE: Debate is over, now let’s work together

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The Government’s aim to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis from the national dairy herd has been received as a negative by many as well as a positive from just as many in the primary industry.
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Nearly everyone in New Zealand has an opinion on this issue with so many people in the media with little or no knowledge of the cause and effect of this disease adding their perspective.

The truth is this outbreak is affecting rural people in so many ways it is now a huge threat to the financial and personal health of not only rural NZ but our ability to be a financially stable nation. 

This outbreak has taken its toll on many and left a lot of people suffering and destitute to the point of no return.

We must tighten up the borders because past incursions and infections have taught us our borders are not as protected as we thought.

Rabbit calicivirus disease was readily imported and should have served as a warning to those in control of biosecurity that we have some big holes to fill. 

During the time M bovis entered our herds until now we have also had many other imported attacks on the sustainability of many facets of the primary industries. 

Previously in this column I have written and warned of the huge threat our pork industry faces with the import of fresh and chilled pork and this must stop now along with anything else that might be a threat to our economy and future as a trading nation.

This outbreak is the most significant biosecurity breach in modern history. It has potential to ruin the primary industry as we know it today. 

Whether you think it was bought in to the country to feed the greed of a few farmers and boost their incomes at the risk of the nation or that it has been here lying dormant and the increase of intensive farming has caused its eruption we now have it/

I can’t say whether eradication or management is right or wrong. 

What I can say is this is a game we have all got to take part in as a nation. 

It’s our biggest test since we went to war to defend our shores – over-dramatised maybe but this is a national issue. 

The cost of eradication has been estimated at $880 million with the support of the Government being 69% of the cost. 

However, the cost of a management only policy would be huge to farmers and the country. 

The reduction of cow numbers as farms become closed units will mean those who rely on dairy grazing will struggle to carry on, 

The bull beef industry won’t want to take on the risk of dairy cattle, the bull service industry will fall over and incomes will be reduced as the dairy industry loses stock to the disease and has to rebuild. 

The staff once required to run intensive dairy operations won’t now be required, creating stress and unemployment. 

Rural mental health will be highlighted again as farmers find their livelihoods threatened. 

These are all changes no one can put a price on in comparison to eradication, especially in regards to the mental health costs.

Those who believe we can just carry on and farm with it have blinkers on and perhaps haven’t thought about what effect it would have on them if a large proportion of their herd did become infected and the Government had of thrown their hands in the air and taken the option to change the rules and not support those farms that will become infected. 

At least we still have the Government working to support farmers in this whether you agree with the eradication programme or not. 

I suspect if the other option had been taken the financial support might not have been as readily available.

I don’t think there is an easy answer to this and the cost to NZ will be huge as we lose the incomes and equity in the industry. 

Banks will be nervous, farmers stretched beyond financial and mental limits and again rural communities will struggle to survive. 

I have heard of private legal action being taken by farmers against farmers who might have knowingly infected other farms who want to recover their losses. This pits farmer against farmer as does the angst over the handling of the outbreak by the Primary Industries Ministry weakening our position of strength to move forward. 

We must all now work together with no one being left in the dark about the way our herds became infected right through to supporting the Government while it tries to ensure we have a future as a trading nation, whether you agree with eradication or not.

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