Federated Farmers: Eradication of mycoplasma bovis disease worthwhile

Cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis is causing New Zealand farmers stress but it's worth trying to rid the country of it, Mike Cranstone says.

"The opportunity is there to have a good crack at eradicating it."

He was elected president of the Wanganui Federated Farmers province on May 25.

There are 37 farms with infected cattle so far, and others that may be infected and are in quarantine. So far 11,000 cattle have been slaughtered.

Cranstone is putting faith in industry experts, who have been working on an eradication plan.

New Zealand is relatively free of stock diseases, and this could be an advantage, he said. "Who knows? Not having this disease, keeping it out, what opportunities may arise for high value products like pharmaceuticals."