New Zealand 2018 – Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme
Government Policy
In Effect
May 28, 2018
Summary
On 28 May 2018, the New Zealand Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture announced a government–industry decision to pursue eradication of Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) from the national cattle herd, committing to a test-and-cull policy, large-scale depopulation of infected and high-risk herds, movement controls, and compensation to affected farmers. M. bovis had been first detected in New Zealand cattle on 21 July 2017, with modelling indicating likely introduction in the latter half of 2015. The eradication programme, led by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in partnership with DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, required compulsory culling of all cattle on confirmed infected properties and on defined high-risk and associated at-risk properties, followed by cleaning, disinfection, and stand-down periods before restocking. By 1 August 2023, no farms in New Zealand were officially classified as infected with M. bovis — a milestone confirmed by the Biosecurity and Agriculture Minister. Surveillance continues toward a formal eradication declaration targeted for June 2028. From 1 January 2025, the programme is managed by OSPRI New Zealand under a National Pest Management Plan.
Background Context
Prior to 2017, New Zealand was regarded as free of M. bovis, which was classified domestically as an “unwanted organism” — present in all major cattle-rearing countries except New Zealand. Genomic analysis indicates M. bovis most likely entered New Zealand in the latter half of 2015, spreading undetected for approximately two years before clinical signs prompted sampling and laboratory confirmation in July 2017. New Zealand operated the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) system prior to the outbreak, providing a framework for individual cattle identification and movement recording; subsequent reviews identified compliance and enforcement gaps that affected early tracing of animal movements from infected herds. The May 2018 eradication decision followed technical advisory group assessments examining feasibility, epidemiology, and the social and economic implications of eradication versus long-term management. A joint government–industry funding framework was agreed between the Crown, DairyNZ, and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, committing to a programme expected to span approximately ten years.
System Impact
Direction
Reduces Exploitation
Type
Changes Scale
Significance
Moderate
Between the programme’s commencement in mid-2018 and 1 August 2023, MPI directed compulsory depopulation of cattle on confirmed infected properties and defined high-risk and at-risk properties across New Zealand. Genomic epidemiology data document isolates from 697 cattle across 126 farms between July 2017 and December 2023; total infected and depopulated farms and animal numbers exceed this subset. By December 2022, a large beef feedlot and surrounding high-risk farms in a defined zone had been fully depopulated; the controlled area notice covering that zone was lifted in March 2023 following two rounds of negative tests from all farms in the at-risk area. On 1 August 2023, the Minister for Biosecurity and Agriculture confirmed that no New Zealand farms were classified as infected with M. bovis, after the last known infected property in Mid-Canterbury was destocked and declared disease-free. By 2024–2025, no new infections were detected through national bulk tank milk surveillance across two consecutive spring calving seasons, advancing the programme to a “confidence of absence” phase. From 1 January 2025, OSPRI New Zealand manages the programme under a National Pest Management Plan requiring cattle owners to report suspected cases and comply with testing and movement controls. Surveillance and response capability continue toward a formal eradication declaration targeted for June 2028.
Anticipated Effects
If eradication is formally confirmed and sustained, the long-term effect would be the removal of M. bovis as an endemic disease risk from the New Zealand cattle system, eliminating the need for future test-and-cull operations associated specifically with this pathogen.
If disease absence is confirmed by June 2028 as targeted, cattle production systems would be expected to continue operating without M. bovis-related depopulation constraints, while the surveillance and traceability improvements developed during the response may continue to shape data and movement requirements for the sector.
If any residual M. bovis detections occur before the formal declaration, the National Pest Management Plan provides for rapid test-and-cull response and movement controls, which would require further farm-level depopulation on affected properties.
Significance Rationale
Assigned Reduces Exploitation (impact direction) because the test-and-cull programme required compulsory depopulation of cattle on confirmed infected, high-risk, and associated at-risk properties, producing documented temporary contraction of cattle use on affected farms across 2018–2023. The scale change is temporal and farm-specific — restocking follows stand-down and negative testing — rather than a permanent reduction in New Zealand’s national cattle herd. The programme nonetheless materially disrupted exploitation continuity on affected properties across multiple regions and at least 126 confirmed infected farms during the 2017–2023 period.
Assigned Changes Scale (impact type) — the primary mechanism is targeted test-and-cull of infected and high-risk herds based on diagnostic testing, directly reducing cattle numbers on affected properties during depopulation and stand-down periods, distinct from blanket depopulation of all animals regardless of status.
Assigned Moderate significance because the programme is national in scope and the largest biosecurity response in New Zealand’s agricultural history, but its effect on total national cattle numbers is localised and temporary: cattle are restocked following clearance, and the national herd of approximately 10 million cattle continues operating throughout. The scale change is transitional: cattle were depopulated on infected and high-risk properties across 2018–2023 with restocking following clearance; the national herd of approximately 10 million cattle continued operating throughout the programme and no permanent national contraction is documented.
Note: Secondary sources report approximately 183,000 cattle culled from 278 farms across the programme. This figure requires verification against MPI programme statistics before this record moves to Review; see Editorial Correction Notice.
Within The System
Key Actors
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) led the eradication programme as the primary biosecurity authority, overseeing policy development, operational direction, controlled area notices, and programme oversight. Cabinet-level decisions and public announcements were made by the Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture/Biosecurity; Minister Damien O’Connor announced the eradication decision on 28 May 2018 and the zero-infections milestone on 1 August 2023. DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand were formal programme partners, contributing funding and industry engagement. OSPRI New Zealand took over programme management from 1 January 2025 under the National Pest Management Plan and also operates the NAIT traceability system. The M. bovis Technical Advisory Group (TAG), convened by MPI with national and international experts, advised on response strategy including culling and surveillance feasibility. Affected dairy and beef producers across New Zealand were subject to compulsory culling orders, movement controls, and biosecurity protocols; a large beef feedlot and surrounding farms in a high-risk zone were among the most significant depopulation operations.
Editorial Correction Notice
Scale & Prevalence: Secondary sources report approximately 183,000 cattle culled from 278 farms across the programme period. This figure is drawn from RNZ reporting via Tridge (April 2023) and has not been verified against MPI programme statistics or financial reports. MPI’s dedicated programme statistics or the joint government-industry funding reports would provide authoritative total figures for cattle culled, farms depopulated, and programme expenditure. This figure should be verified before this record moves to Review.
Scale & Prevalence: The Prompt 2 research output does not provide a confirmed total cattle culled figure from primary MPI sources. The 697 cattle across 126 farms figure cited in this record reflects genomic epidemiology sampling data, not the total depopulation count. Total animals culled and total farms depopulated across the full 2017–2023 period are likely documented in MPI annual programme reports or the Technical Advisory Group’s financial assessments.
Anticipated Effects: The formal eradication declaration is targeted for June 2028 and remains contingent on continued absence of infection through ongoing surveillance. No confirmed declaration has been made as of this record’s creation.
Key Actors: Specific corporate owners of infected properties, individual slaughter facilities used for depopulation, and all research institutions involved in genomic work are not fully identified in available sources.
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