Listen: Damien O'Connor on Mycoplasma bovis compensation

Does the Ministry for Primary Industries have enough resources to fight Mycoplasma bovis? The Country's Jamie Mackay put this question to Minister for Agriculture Damien O'Connor on today's show.

O'Connor confirms that MPI needs more resources, "They're at their limit...we inherited an organisation that is working hard at every level, this is an added burden to some of those individuals in key places - we're going to make sure that they've got the resources to do the job properly."

Another concern for farmers with stock affected by Mycoplasma bovis is culling rates and compensation.

O'Connor says trying to work through compensation "in a very fair way to all has been a challenge," and a process he is trying to push along as quickly as possible "at every level".

As for destroying stock, O'Connor says MPI has to make sure it is culling "the right animals for the right reasons."

Also in today's interview Damien O'Connor comments on National leader Bill English standing down and updates the drought situation around the country.