Foot And Mouth DIsease

Biosecurity

Farmers are being reminded to be particularly stringent with their on-farm biosecurity.

  • Foot and mouth disease has been identified in popular tourist destinations such as Bali and other parts of Indonesia.

  • High pathogenicity Avian Influenza and the risk to NZ

  • Velvet Leaf Weed Management

Velvetleaf 

Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) is present on a number of properties throughout New Zealand.

It's a serious cropping weed that can affect many arable crops.

Velvetleaf has been reported as causing up to 70% reduction in crop yields overseas.

MPI areworking to increase public knowledge on how to effectively manage velvetleaf and prevent its spread.

We're also supporting land occupiers and rural contractors to take personal responsibility for controlling velvetleaf and reducing the risk of spread.

Why velvetleaf is such a big problem for farms

Details on how to control velvetleaf on farm

Foot ​& Mouth 

  • Foot and mouth disease is spreading through popular Indonesian tourist destinations including Bali.
  • Don’t allow overseas visitors who have been in contact with animals onto farms for a least a week after their arrival.
  • Ensure stringent on-farm biosecurity protocols are in place and adhered to.
  • Do not feed uncooked food waste to pigs.
  • Become familiar with the symptoms of foot and mouth disease and do not hesitate to call a vet or 0800 80 99 66.

For more information check out -  Beef + Lamb NZ  and  DairyNZ

MPI Foot-and-mouth disease response plans

If New Zealand ever had an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), it would have a serious impact on our primary industries and economy. Find out about FMD and preparing for an outbreak. Clilck on the different links below for more information from MPI:

 

About Avian Influenza

Avian influenza is a contagious viral disease that primarily affects domesticated and wild birds, but is known to be transmissible to mammals.

There are 2 categories of avian influenza virus:

  • high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), which can cause severe signs and high death rates in birds
  • low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI), which typically causes few or no signs in birds but can possibly mutate to become HPAI.

New Zealand has never had HPAI. However, LPAI viruses exist in wild birds and have been detected in New Zealand. Biosecurity New Zealand has an active surveillance programme for LPAI and tests around 2,000 samples from wild birds each year.

Types of HPAI viruses, like the current H5N1 circulating globally, can cause high mortality in poultry (chickens and turkeys), waterfowl (ducks, geese, and swans), shorebirds (godwits, stilts, and plovers) and seabirds (gulls and terns). HPAI in poultry is also known as "fowl plague" and "bird flu".

New Zealand's Risk of HPAI

The risk of HPAI arriving in New Zealand is low because we: 

  • have strong border biosecurity
  • are isolated from other land masses
  • are not on a migratory pathway for waterfowl (while a few species of wild birds sometimes arrive from Australia, this only happens occasionally)
  • have limited migratory shorebird pathways, and the likelihood of an infected bird making the journey here is small, due to the high mortality of HPAI.

New Zealand’s risk of an incursion of HPAI will change if the disease spreads in Antarctica towards the Ross Sea region, and we are carefully monitoring changes in the distribution of the virus.

If high pathogenicity avian influenza is detected in New Zealand or its territories, Biosecurity New Zealand will coordinate a response in partnership with the Department of Conservation and the Ministry of Health.


Check out some useful articles about Biosecurity:

Bird flu - what do I need to know?

Bird flu - what do I need to know?

Eradication is unlikely to be an option if a highly contagious strain of bird flu reaches New Zealand and establishes itself in wild birds, the Ministry for Primary Industries’ chief...
July 15, 2024 0 Comments
Velvetleaf Weed Management

Velvetleaf Weed Management

Biosecurity New Zealand want your help to stop its spread.

Find out what you can do, and get up-to-date information on the situation.

May 9, 2024 0 Comments
Checked your crops for Fall Armyworm?

Checked your crops for Fall Armyworm?

The insect pest, fall armyworm has been reported in the North and South Islands, and with further spread likely, knowing how to identify and manage this pest can do a lot to help protect our...
January 29, 2023 0 Comments
Stink Bug Campaign Ramps Up

Stink Bug Campaign Ramps Up

BMSB infests several horticultural crops, causing damage to flowers, stems, leaves and fruit of host plants. Significant crops likely to be affected in New Zealand include apples, corn, wine...
November 4, 2022 0 Comments
Federated Farmers Webinar - Foot & Mouth Disease - What you need to know

Federated Farmers Webinar - Foot & Mouth Disease - What you need to know

With there being so much talk about Foot and Mouth in the media Federated Farmers wanted to update everyone alongside MPI on what is happening. Watch the recorded webinar for more...
August 25, 2022 0 Comments
Talking Dairy - Take Action against FMD

Talking Dairy - Take Action against FMD

Foot-and-mouth disease has reached the tourist hot spot of Bali, and the risk of it entering NZ on the footprint of an unwary traveller or by other means, is now a little too close for comfort....
July 22, 2022 0 Comments
Foot-and-mouth disease fragments detected at Australian border

Foot-and-mouth disease fragments detected at Australian border

A foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has ripped through two Indonesian provinces since April, killing thousands of cows and infecting hundreds of thousands more

July 22, 2022 0 Comments
What you need to know about Foot and Mouth Disease.

What you need to know about Foot and Mouth Disease.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious and infectious viral disease that affects cloven-hooved (two-toed) animals such as cows, sheep, goats and pigs. It is an animal health disease...
July 20, 2022 0 Comments
Federated Farmers urges extreme vigilance on FMD

Federated Farmers urges extreme vigilance on FMD

Feds urges extreme vigilance on FMD As Biosecurity New Zealand continues to closely monitor the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Indonesia, Federated Farmers is urging holiday makers to...
July 11, 2022 0 Comments
Southern Field Days - Waimumu (Gore), Southland

Southern Field Days - Waimumu (Gore), Southland

On show over three days is the latest in rural technology, equipment and ideas from around the world and it will be on display right here in Southland. Drawing in increasingly large crowds and...
2/11/2026 8:00 AM - 2/13/2026 4:00 PM 0 Comments
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