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Culling of all cattle infected with Mycoplasma bovis will give farmers much-needed certainty over their futures, says Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor.

Minister of Agriculture and Biosecurity Damien O’Connor has today announced an intensive programme to track cattle movements across Cook Strait to help control the further spread of cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis.

Minister of Agriculture and Biosecurity Damien O’Connor today welcomed a joint Government and industry commitment to funding the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak response. 

Minister for Agriculture and Rural Communities Damien O’Connor today announced that the damage wrought by former Cyclone Gita in Taranaki and parts of the Tasman district meets the criteria for medium-scale adverse event classification. 

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has welcomed survey results that show many Kiwis – both urban and rural – hold a similar and positive view of the primary sector. 

Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced that two dairy farming operations from Rotorua and the South Island’s West Coast are the finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy BNZ Māori Excellence in Farming Award for dairy.

Rain has brought relief to some drought-affected regions but farmers need to carefully review their feed budgets and plans for winter, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor.  

Provisions to manage Fonterra’s dominant position in New Zealand’s dairy markets will continue under changes to the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2001 (DIRA).

Initial results from the first round of milk testing from all producing dairy farms for Mycoplasma bovis indicate eradication of the disease remains a viable option as work to contain it ramps up, says Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor.

Minister for Agriculture and Rural Communities Damien O’Connor today announced that the medium-scale adverse event classification for the drought in parts of the country would be extended to the whole of Southland plus Otago’s Queenstown Lakes, Central Otago and Clutha districts.

A testing and tracing regime for Mycoplasma bovis will provide a clearer indication of its spread and potential actions for eradication by the end of February, says Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor.

Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor travels to Europe today to speak at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, held during International Green Week in Berlin.

Minister for Agriculture and Rural Communities Damien O’Connor has extended the medium-scale adverse event classification to the drought-hit Grey and Buller districts of the South Island’s West Coast.