Sacrifices paying off in fight against disease Since detection in July 2017, government agencies, industry and farmers have worked hard to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) from New Zealand. That work appears to be paying off and due in large part to the efforts and sacrifices made by farmers and the wider agricultural sector, the country is on track to be the first to eradicate M. bovis. “We are at a crucial point in eradicating this disease where we are aiming to move from delimiting – controlling the last known pockets of the disease – to provisional absence,” M. bovis Eradication Programme Director Simon Andrew says.
Both say their MPI Farm Systems
Marty and Jo Ashby have been dairy
Manager, Duncan Trotter, helped them
farming in Canterbury for decades. They
with practical guidance. “We drank a lot
have about 650 dairy cows with a 180ha
of coffee with Duncan,” Theo says.
milking platform and 150ha run-off block.
The compensation from the M. bovis
Through the years they have worked hard
Eradication Programme meant they
to create a thriving business. When they
could think about rebuilding their
got the call in 2019 that M. bovis was
business. “Essentially we looked at
detected on their property, it was a kick
every aspect of our business and
in the guts.
considered both biosecurity and
“The first thing that was important to
sustainability,” Martin says.
us was to get as much information as
“We plan to be doing this for a long
possible in terms of test results and what
time,” Theo says. “So it needs to
that meant for our farm,” Marty says.
be profitable but it also needs to be
Both Marty and Jo say they were
satisfying – we want to feel proud about
fortunate to have AsureQuality points of
what we have accomplished.”
contact, including Loris McLeod, who
“We are now looking harder to find less through our background and network surveillance. We also need farmers and those working in the industry to stay focused on good biosecurity practices to keep M. bovis out.” Martin and Theo Sneek are problemsolvers by nature. Originally from a dairy farming family in the Netherlands, Theo came to New Zealand on an exchange programme back in 2003. Martin followed soon after. The brothers are sharemilkers on two farms in North Canterbury, where they have 1,700 dairy cows, 500 replacements and raise 500 beef cattle. In March 2018, their problem-solving abilities were tested when they learned that M. bovis was detected on the property they farm. “It was hard but we had to be practical and figure out a way to get through,” Martin says.
16 | THE FARMLANDER
| Martin and Theo Sneek with their dog Blits.
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