Government Approves New Strategy to Eradicate Bovine Tuberculosis

“Possums are the main way TB spreads to farmed cattle and deer, so the new management plan will focus on eradicating it from both possums and livestock by 2040,” Hoggard said.

The New Zealand Government has announced a renewed commitment to eliminating bovine tuberculosis (TB) from the country, with a new strategy focused on removing TB-infected possums from identified disease hotspots across the North and South Islands.

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard confirmed that the Government has accepted recommendations from an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB. The review concluded that infected possum populations must be eliminated from specific regions in the central North Island, Hawke's Bay, and Otago if New Zealand is to permanently protect its livestock industries from the disease.

Under the revised plan, the Government and the beef, dairy, and deer industries will work together to eradicate tuberculosis from both possums and farmed animals by 2040.

"Possums are the main way TB spreads to farmed cattle and deer, so the new management plan will focus on eradicating it from both possums and livestock by 2040," Hoggard said.

The Minister stressed that while New Zealand has made significant progress in reducing the disease, the continued presence of infected possums remains the greatest obstacle to complete eradication.

"We can't get rid of bovine TB without getting rid of infected possums. If they remain, they will keep reinfecting our dairy, beef and deer herds," he said.

The new plan represents the next stage in a decades-long national effort to combat bovine tuberculosis, a disease that can have serious economic consequences for livestock producers and threatens New Zealand's reputation as a producer of high-quality agricultural products.

Record Low Number of Infected Herds Signals Progress in Long-Term Battle

The Government's announcement comes at a time when New Zealand is closer than ever to eliminating bovine tuberculosis from its livestock population.

According to Hoggard, only 16 infected herds remain nationwide, a dramatic decline from the much larger number of cases recorded in previous decades.

"We're very close to achieving zero infected herds with just 16 herds nationwide. That's an amazing achievement after decades of hard work by farmers and continued investment. Now we need to finish the job," he said.

The reduction in infected herds reflects years of coordinated efforts involving farmers, industry organisations, biosecurity authorities, and disease management programmes. These initiatives have included livestock testing, movement controls, wildlife management, and surveillance activities designed to limit the spread of infection.

The Government believes the current low level of infection presents a unique opportunity to move from disease management to complete eradication.

The independent review concluded that targeted action against infected possum populations is now essential if the remaining reservoirs of disease are to be removed permanently.

Possums have long been recognised as the primary wildlife carrier of bovine TB in New Zealand. When infected possums come into contact with cattle or deer, the disease can spread to livestock, creating recurring outbreaks even in areas where infected herds have been successfully cleared.

By focusing on key infection hotspots, officials hope to break the cycle of reinfection and secure long-term disease freedom for New Zealand's livestock industries.

Funding Maintained and Farmer Compliance Burden Reduced Under New Plan

To support implementation of the revised strategy, annual funding for the TB eradication programme will remain at $60 million per year for the next five years.

The funding arrangement will continue to be shared between industry and government, with farmers contributing 60 percent of programme costs and the Government providing the remaining 40 percent.

Recognising the need for long-term sustainability, the Government has also agreed to conduct a future review of progress against the eradication plan and assess ongoing funding requirements beyond 2031.

The operational delivery of the programme will continue to be managed by OSPRI, the organisation responsible for administering New Zealand's TBfree programme.

As part of the new strategy, OSPRI will introduce several operational changes aimed at improving efficiency and reducing costs for farmers. One of the most significant changes will be a shift away from blanket tuberculosis testing toward a more targeted surveillance approach in lower-risk areas.

The revised system will utilise existing technology, risk assessments, and data analysis to identify where testing is most needed, helping authorities focus resources on areas with the greatest likelihood of disease transmission.

"This will reduce compliance and costs for farmers, by using existing technology and data to focus testing where it's most needed, to protect herds against further spread," Hoggard said.

The Minister also praised the review process that informed the new strategy, noting that the governance group responsible for the review undertook extensive consultation with stakeholders and the wider public.

The consultation included public meetings, webinars, and engagement with industry representatives to ensure the proposed changes reflected both scientific evidence and practical farming realities. Hoggard emphasised that although many farmers may never have experienced bovine TB directly on their own properties, the disease remains a challenge for the entire livestock sector.

"The new plan affects the whole dairy, beef and deer sectors, even if individual farmers have never personally faced TB on their farms," he said. "As long as TB is still present here, no matter how small the areas of infection, we are still farming with a big hurdle. The work we do now will make farming easier in the future."

The Government believes the updated National Pest Management Plan provides a clear pathway toward eliminating bovine tuberculosis once and for all. By targeting infected possum populations, maintaining strong industry-government partnerships, and adopting more efficient surveillance methods, New Zealand aims to become one of the few countries in the world to successfully eradicate the disease from both wildlife and livestock.