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The head of an organisation that administers more than 100,000 hectares of Maori land says none of the farms it works with appear to be affected by mycoplasma bovis.
The Government has announced it will attempt to eradicate the cattle disease, which so far has been detected on more than 30 farms.
That means culling up to 150,000 cows and will cost more than $800 million over the next decade.
Jamie Tuuta from Te Tumu Paeroa compared it with the PSA virus that hit the kiwifruit sector a few years ago, wiping out much of the original Hort 16A kiwifruit gold variety.
"When we got wind of the situation we got advice around the steps we should take, not allowing any stock movements within the farms we are involved with. I'm not aware of any other Maori farms at this stage but the numbers are set to grow and we have all got to be vigilant in this space," he says.
Mr Tuuta says it’s disappointing farmers flouted the regulations around recording stock movements that are supposed to help track and contain such outbreaks.
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