Home Millers Must Comply with Ruminant Feeding Rules
Farmers who mix their own feeds or supply stock feed to other farmers may be breaking the law.
This warning comes from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority.
Allen Bryce, MAF's National Manager Surveillance and Response said that a recent audit showed that many farmers were not following regulations prohibiting the feeding of ruminant protein to ruminants.
"Effectively they are breaking the law and threatening New Zealand's disease free status," he said.
Feeding of ruminant protein to ruminants such as cattle, sheep, deer or goats has been linked to the spread of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) including the brain wasting disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathies (BSE), also commonly known as mad cow disease.
Dr Bryce said the problem was particularly with farmers who mix feed for non-ruminants, such as pigs, poultry or horses, but who also mix feed for ruminants.
"Feed that contains ruminant protein, such as meat and bone meal, can be fed to non-ruminants - but anyone who makes feed containing ruminant protein, and also makes feed for ruminants, must have an approved Ruminant Protein Control Programme in place," he said.
"The programme is designed to reduce the risk spreading BSE in New Zealand should we ever have a case in New Zealand.
Dr Bryce says any farmer (or other person) who makes feed containing ruminant protein, and also makes feed for ruminants, without having an approved programme, is putting New Zealand's export markets at risk, and could be prosecuted under the Biosecurity Act 1993 and could be fined up to $15,000.
Farmers who mix their own feed also need to be careful if they supply feed to another farmer.
"A farmer can make feed for his pigs or poultry, containing ruminant protein, without any problems. If he gives that feed to his cattle, or other ruminants, he is breaching the Regulations; and if he supplies that feed to another person, who feeds it to ruminants, that creates another problem," says Dr Bryce. "If the farmer who mixes the feed knows the feed will be fed to ruminants, then he must have an approved programme in place."
Dr Bryce says MAF or NZFSA can assist if farmers are unsure about the rules. For more information on the ruminant feeding regulations go to www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests/tse included is a guide to help determine whether you must have an approved programme, a template to use as a guide to draft a programme, and a checklist of items that should be included in a programme. It also includes details of the MAF and NZFSA contact for enquiries on these programmes.
For more information contact:
Dr Allen Bryce on 470 2787 or 021 799 110
Philippa White, Communications Advisor, Biosecurity Authority on 04 498 9948 or 027 223 1875
Page last updated: 20 June 2008