Mycoplasma bovis rule-breaking cattle farmer handed $21,000 fine

Photo / File

RNZ

Omarama farmer Daniel Thomas, 54, was sentenced in the Timaru District Court for one charge concerning animal tracing and four biosecurity related charges, all of which he had pleaded guilty to.

The court heard his farm was in an area under stock movement restrictions during the Ministry for Primary Industry's response to M. bovis in 2019.

Despite this, he sold cattle and transported some to a processing plant without the ministry's permission.

MPI spokesperson, Gerry Anderson, said the rules Thomas broke were there for a reason as careless attitudes could cause a quick spread of diseases like M. bovis.

- RNZ