Agri Minister O'Connor orders policy review of not naming Mycoplasma Bovis farms

Friday 15th December 2017

Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor has asked officials to review the policy of not naming the farms where Mycoplasma Bovis is detected and said keeping accurate records of stock movement is vital to halting the spread of the disease.

Mycoplasma bovis is commonly found in cattle globally, including Australia. It does not infect humans and presents no food safety risk, but can have serious effects on cattle. It was first detected in New Zealand in July.

Earlier this week, the Ministry for Primary Industries announced four new properties tested positive for the bacterial cattle disease, including the first outbreak in the North Island, bringing the total to 12. So far, around 3,500 animals have been culled and more than 55,000 tests carried out. The infected farms are placed under "restricted place notices," which legally prevents the movement of animals, equipment and risk materials from the properties.

"Previous advice is that privacy law prevents us from naming those farms, but I think it could be a useful tool so other farmers can put up their hands and say ‘I brought stock from that property’. It could help the tracking and tracing process'," O'Connor said in a release.

O'Connor meanwhile said he has called on industry leaders to emphasise the need for absolute adherence to animal movement requirements. "I want to reassure farmers that the Ministry of Primary Industries is working hard to trace and track animals linked to these properties,’’ he said.

Earlier this week, MPI's director of response Geoff Gwyn said MPI is continuing with its policy of not naming the affected properties if the owners did not want this.

"MPI is prevented from doing otherwise by the Privacy Act. However, we do understand community concern about the disease and we are strongly encouraging farmers under controls or investigation to talk to their neighbours, customers and suppliers," he said in a statement.

(BusinessDesk)

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