Mycoplasma bovis: Is this the end for calf clubs?

Mycoplasma bovis might have finally put an end to school calf club days (like this one at Waiharara in 2014). Photo / File

The tradition of school calf club days, which has been hanging on by a thread for some years, might finally be history, thanks to Mycoplasma bovis.

National MP Alastair Scott (Wairarapa) said earlier this week that DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand were recommending an end to such events because of the risk factor of spreading the disease, adding that farmers should probably follow their own industry advice.

Tararua Mayor and dairy farmer Tracey Collis said it was sensible to avoid any risk, although some children "really lived" for lamb and calf days.

Schools wishing to stage the events would have to be very careful, and it would not be impossible to mitigate the risk, but she thought the events should be put on hold for the duration of the eradication process.

Fonterra's area manager for Hawke's Bay, Tony Haslett, agreed.

"Biosecurity is the number one risk to New Zealand's pastoral farming industry, and anything practical that can be done, particularly within our rural communities to reduce the risk of disease spread (such as M. Bovis) should be supported where practicable," he said.

The Ministry for Primary Industries has suggested that schools think carefully about postponing their calf days this year.

The ministry has offered some common sense steps that the organisers of events featuring cattle might take, however. It recommends denying entry to animals without a NAIT tag, ensuring stalls are cleaned out before and after using them, and providing animals with individual water rather than letting them share troughs.

Meanwhile Waiharara School, which traditionally its calf club day in September, will not be doing so this year, although the reason for that was unclear yesterday.

Peria School has yet to decide whether it would include calves in its pet day in October.