Disease and pest free animals and crops rely on agrichemical use. Pesticides, detergents and sanitisers are a critical component of New Zealand’s $48 billion agricultural sector. The recently released and updated ‘NZS 8409:2021 Management of agrichemicals’ provides guidance for spray operators, farmers, growers and other users to manage a range of chemicals safely, responsibly and […]
Biosecurity
Managing pesticide resistance threat
Pesticide resistance is a serious challenge for the farming sector – decreasing its ability to manage pests and diseases such as Blackspot (apples), powdery mildew (a fungal disease affecting a wide range of plants), diamond back moth and weeds affecting ryegrass. Farmers, industry and government all have a part to play to manage it. Farmers […]
Disease detective joins TB eradication push
When you hear the word epidemiologist these days you probably might think of the experts who are figuring out how to tackle COVID-19. But the brief is wider than humans. Essentially, epidemiology is the study of disease outbreaks and plays a big part in identifying the source of an outbreak, as well as monitoring and […]
Tapping farmer knowledge, effort a key to Te Manahuna Aoraki pest control
By Simon Edwards Two or three hares can eat as much as a sheep in alpine grassland. They’ll also damage saplings and shrubs. As part of his research, Otago PhD student Nick Foster needed help to put GPS collars on hares in the nationally significant biodiversity area looked after by Te Manahuna Aoraki. Lilybank Station […]
A breath of fresh air for disease management
When you hear the word epidemiologist these days you might think of the experts who are figuring out how to tackle COVID-19. Essentially, epidemiology is the study of disease outbreaks and plays a big part in identifying the source of an outbreak, as well as monitoring and tracking the disease. Lead Veterinary Epidemiologist Dallas New […]
Twelve wilding pines projects to share $2 million
Twelve community projects across New Zealand will receive a share of $2 million to carry out wilding pine control, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor announced as part of Biosecurity Week. “Wilding pines are a serious problem that threaten many of the unique landscapes that New Zealanders value. Community groups and trusts on the ground can play […]
Latest M. bovis TAG report released
The latest report from the independent Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for the Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) response shows New Zealand is on track to eradicate the disease. “The TAG report acknowledges the improvements to our work, which aim to lessen the impact on affected farmers, their whanau, workers and rural communities,” says M. bovis […]
Campaign targeting hunters on how to prevent the spread of TB
Ospri has launched a nationwide TB education campaign for hunters, providing them with the advice they need to keep themselves and their whānau safe while ensuring the disease is not spread unintentionally. Hunters sometimes come across bovine tuberculosis (TB) infected animals during their hunting activity and may not know what to do when it comes […]
Bee colony losses in winter continue to rise
A recently released survey reveals important findings about the winter colony loss rates of New Zealand bees and the experiences of New Zealand beekeepers, says Apiculture New Zealand. The New Zealand Colony Loss Survey is produced each year by Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research for the Ministry for Primary Industries. It is based on an online […]
Vaccinating animals for their health – and ours
by Mark Ross, Chief Executive of Agcarm OPINION: As we struggle to fathom how we ended up in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re reminded of the importance of vaccinations to protect us from life-threatening diseases. The same applies to animals – to preserve their health and wellbeing as well as ours – due […]