ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015

OSPRI | SPECIAL PROJECTS 2014/2015
NAIT WORKSHOPS
In response to stakeholder requests
for better guidance on using
NAIT, OSPRI set up workshops
in collaboration with a range
of industry partners (DairyNZ,
Deer Industry New Zealand and
Beef + Lamb New Zealand). The
workshops were designed to
provide users (e.g. farmers and
information providers) with the
skills to complete a range of tasks
within the NAIT system and to
provide OSPRI with feedback on
possible system improvements.
Information providers and tag
manufacturers provided valuable
input into the development
and delivery of the workshop.
OSPRI facilitated workshops in
combination with LIC and the
Dairy Women’s Network. OSPRI’s
shareholders along with industry
service providers and Federated
Farmers supported workshop
promotion. Over 1000 farmers
attended the workshops from
April through to June. The same
stakeholders have also been active
in promoting the benefits of NAIT
to their members through the
various communication mediums
they use throughout the year.
IMPROVING THE SKIN TEST
USED FOR IDENTIFYING TB
INFECTED LIVESTOCK
OSPRI collaborated with PolyBatics,
AgResearch, AsureQuality and
VetEnt to assess developments
in TB testing methodologies
for diagnostic and ongoing
surveillance purposes. While
existing TB diagnostic tests
currently demonstrate a reasonably
high degree of accuracy, further
improvements to the methodology
have valuable potential for the
TBfree programme. They could
reduce time and investment,
and ensure a higher degree of
accuracy. At present, to test for
TB infection in livestock a skin
test is used in the field which
requires Observe TM tuberculin to
be injected into the caudal fold
near the base of the animal’s
tail. Although this test has high
accuracy overall, in some groups of
animals it can also falsely identify
some animals as infected (“false
positives”). OSPRI, with PolyBatics,
AgResearch, AsureQuality and
VetEnt, established a collaborative
project that would address
whether the number of “false
positives” may be reduced with
testing approaches and through
a comparison of the sensitivity
and specificity of the intradermal
injection of a new reagent (AssignbTB
reagent - PolyBatics) with that
of the currently used Observe TM
tuberculin. The Chief Technical
Officer of MPI provided approval
for the experimental design of the
project. To date, a sufficient number
of tuberculous reactors are yet to
be diagnosed that could effectively
demonstrate the potential
difference between Assign-bTB and
ObserveTM tuberculin sensitivity,
but further testing intended to
continue over the coming months
will provide results during the latter
part of 2015.
BATTLE FOR OUR BIRDS
OSPRI collaborated with the
Department of Conservation
(DOC) to integrate TBfree and
Battle for our Birds programme
activities and to further eradicate
TB and promote biodiversity results
for both agencies and the New
Zealand community.
DOC predicted that, due to high
levels of seed production in beech
forests, a rodent, possum and stoat
population explosion could further
endanger birds such as mōhua,
kākā, kea, whio and kiwi along with
other at-risk species such as bats
and land snails. OSPRI worked with
DOC on two aerial operations – the
Mokihinni and the Blue Mountains –
to help fight this explosion.
Mokihinui and Atarau
We undertook the Mokihinui
aerial operation and included
an additional block of allocated
DOC land within our Atarau aerial
operation in order to support
DOC’s Battle for our Birds
programme. DOC integrated
possum control in their Kahurangi
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