The Country - Waikato edition

Photo / Sarah Ivey

Today The Country looks into the spread of Mycoplasma bovis which has been found in Waikato.

On with the show:

Chris Lewis:

Farming's worst kept secret is out! M. bovis is in Waikato – the powerhouse province of dairy industry. We ask Federated Farmers' National Dairy Chair why MPI was so slow out of the blocks to confirm it, should politicians being playing the blame game, should the cull be stopped and who will end up footing the bill?

Don Fraser:

The man behind Fraser Farm Finance talks about 'trouble at mill' for manuka honey and says trying to control M. bovis is like grabbing a tiger by the tail.

Geoff Gwyn:

Following the confirmed outbreak of M. bovis in Waikato, Biosecurity New Zealand's Director of Response for M. bovis says a decision will be made by end of the month whether to stop the cattle cull and move from eradication to contain and manage.

Peter and Nicola Carver:

We talk to the 2017 Ballance Farm Environment Awards winners, Taranaki dairy and dry stock farmers, who have recently returned from a study tour of the UK looking at soil conservation.

Don Close:

We head to a woolshed in Dannevirke where we find a Rabobank US Animal Proteins Analyst. Topics for discussion include how M. bovis is affecting the US beef industry, the global dynamics of the industry and how a big dry in the south-west States will affect the world beef market.

Listen below: