Rural Women New Zealand Alex Eagles-Tully

As the threat of foot-and-mouth disease looms like an impending storm, the importance of educating lifestyle block owners in New Zealand about their responsibilities has perhaps been underestimated.
Most rural residents know by now that foot-and-mouth (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects animals with hooves split in two, such as cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, deer and alpaca.

Rural Women New Zealand wants to ensure all cattle and deer owners know they are legally obliged to register with the National Animal Identification and Tracing scheme.
RWNZ Region 5 leader Mary McTavish says NAIT is one of the main tools up the sleeve of the Minister for Agriculture and Biosecurity in the event of an FMD outbreak in Aotearoa.
"It does not matter if you have 1 or 1000 animals, if the cow is a pet or if you are planning on a home kill; the law still requires the animal to have an ear tag and be registered with NAIT," Mary says.
The NAIT scheme allows the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to trace the movement of cattle and deer around Aotearoa and is a vital part of our biosecurity defence in the event of an outbreak of an animal disease such as FMD.
NAIT tags are available from most vets for about $5 each and can be registered at animaltrace.nait.co.nz.
If you do not register an animal that is born on your property or report buying or selling animals, then you could be subject to a fine of $800 or more.

In addition, if you have any cattle or deer, you must also register the number of other cloven-hooved animals on your land, such as sheep.
Some states in Australia require animals such as sheep to be tagged, but there is currently no such requirement in New Zealand.
Lifestyle blockers can also register their property details at farmsonline.mpi.govt.nz, which will help MPI contact them in case of a biosecurity outbreak or rural emergency.
The outbreak of any disease can have far-reaching implications on so many levels.
"The economic and emotional impacts of an outbreak of FMD in New Zealand would adversely affect all of us, whether living in a rural area or city," Mary says.
"We all have a role to play in ensuring our country remains FMD free be it as a biosecurity conscious traveller or animal owner."