Government Reaffirms Commitment to Eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease Threat

Hoggard announced the release of the economic analysis and Cabinet Paper to underscore the gravity of the disease and the importance of robust biosecurity measures.

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard has emphasized the government's commitment to eradicating any potential outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in New Zealand, following a new economic impact report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.

The report highlights the severe consequences of a foot and mouth incursion, predicting an immediate halt to animal product exports and a long-term loss in export value of approximately $14.3 billion annually. Hoggard stressed that immediate and decisive action would be crucial in the event of an outbreak.

To manage the threat, the Ministry for Primary Industries presented three options: a 'stamping out' approach, possibly using emergency vaccination; managing the disease with long-term vaccination; or living with the disease. The analysis strongly favored the 'stamping out' strategy, which would require about 10 months and $1.9 billion to control with vaccination, compared to 15 months and $2.98 billion without vaccination. In both scenarios, New Zealand’s trade losses would be significant, but living with the disease would have an ongoing economic impact of $14.3 billion annually.

Hoggard announced the release of the economic analysis and Cabinet Paper to underscore the gravity of the disease and the importance of robust biosecurity measures. He reiterated the government's commitment to maintaining a strong border to prevent any incursion of FMD and other pests.