WELLINGTON: New Zealand Monday ordered the culling of 126,000 cattle in an attempt to eradicate the painful Mycoplasma bovis disease, which causes udder infections, pneumonia and arthritis.
The decision was taken to “protect the base of our economy — the farming sector,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
“This is a tough call — no one ever wants to see mass culls. But the alternative is the spread of the disease across our national herd.”
Mycoplasma bovis does not affect milk and meat for human consumption, and most governments are content to control outbreaks.
However, Ardern said New Zealand — which relies heavily on livestock farming for its export earnings — would aim to eradicate the disease completely.
“We do believe we are taking it on at a point that it is possible to eradicate and more than 99 percent of farms don’t have it and we want to protect them from having it.”
The phased eradication, to take place over two years at a cost of NZ$886 million ($616 million), represents only a fraction of New Zealand stock, with some 4.2 million cattle slaughtered annually.
Mycoplasma bovis has been found on about 40 farms so far but the government believes 192 properties will eventually be involved in the cull.
Already, 26,000 cattle have been destroyed in the 10 months since the disease was first recorded in New Zealand.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said it was believed the outbreak came from one source and that expert advice indicated it was possible to contain and eradicate it.
However, many healthy cattle will also be killed in the cull.
“The majority of animals that we do cull in New Zealand are all healthy. This is a necessary, unfortunate part of not having yet a test that clearly identifies the individual animals,” he said.
New Zealand orders mass cattle cull to eradicate disease
New Zealand orders mass cattle cull to eradicate disease
Zelensky wants to replace Ukraine’s defense minister
- President has offered the position to his current minister of digital transformation, who is aged just 34
- No explanation was given for his decision to replace Denys Shmygal
KYIV, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said he intended to replace his defense minister and had offered the position to his current minister of digital transformation, who is aged just 34.
“I have decided to change the structure of the Ukrainian ministry of defense,” Zelensky said in his daily address broadcast on social media. “I have offered Mikhailo Fedorov the position of new Ukrainian defense minister.”
Fedorov, who has been digital transformation minister since 2019, is a relative political novice little-known to the Ukrainian public.
“Mykhailo is deeply involved in issues related to drones and is very effective in the digitalization of state services and processes,” Zelensky added.
Without explaining his decision to replace Denys Shmygal, the Ukrainian leader said he had proposed the incumbent “head another area of government work that is no less important for our stability.”
Zelensky had tapped Shmygal as defense minister just half a year ago, in July 2025.
Besides the turnover at the defense ministry, Zelensky also named Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov to head his presidential office.
Budanov replaces Andriy Yermak, who was among Ukraine’s most powerful people before being engulfed in a corruption scandal dogging some of Zelensky’s former allies.
