Listen: Mycoplasma bovis - eradication still an option

Vice President of Federated Farmers, Andrew Hoggard. Photo / Supplied

The Ministry for Primary industries is still hoping to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis, but with today's news that the cattle disease has now been found on 38 farms, is it time to talk about containment?

Vice President of Federated Farmers, Andrew Hoggard spoke to The Country's Jamie Mackay saying, "my preference would be to go for a containment with a view to eradication."

Hoggard says a "long term view" is needed to stop the disease from spreading. This would involve ensuring NAIT records are up to date and "everyone is doing the right thing there and recording data."

Cases of Mycoplasma bovis are going to come up for the next two years predicts Hoggard, who has heard from people overseas dealing with the cattle disease.

"I think it would be a disaster if we let this disease go. We would be impacted more by this disease than any other country in the world because we base our farming systems on shifting stock around."

Also in today's interview Andrew Hoggard discusses the logistics of self-contained dairy farming and David Parker's comments about capping nutrient discharge limits.

Listen below: