Illness forces calf sale caution

Livestock fundraisers are having to take extra precautions on the tail of Mycoplasma bovis.

Calf sales, in particular, are a popular product of fundraisers in which farmers care for the animals on-farm until they are ready to be sold.

St Andrews Primary School had cashed in on the initiative over several years and hoped it could continue to do so, principal Steve Fennessy said.

The fundraiser earns the school $10,000-$12,000 each year.

However, due to the outbreak of M. bovis, extra precautions were now vital.

Mr Fennessy said the school was keen to continue the successful fundraiser, under new strict guidelines.

''In an ideal world we'd love to have it back up and running, but we need to make sure there's no chance we are contaminators ...

''We want to make sure we don't put any farmers in jeopardy,'' he said.

''The process we are having to review.

''We used to ... take them off to the sales. We are now aware we can't do that.''

He said because the school ''really values'' the fundraiser and had a huge need for it, options would be explored.

Money raised from the sale of calves goes towards a fifth teacher at the school, along with extra teaching support when required.

One option for the school was to further develop its sale of lambs, which it had merged with the sale of calves in the past.

''We'll look at different ways to be a safe practice that can still work,'' Mr Fennessy said.

The fundraiser was supported by the wider community, which had helped make it such a success, he said.

''It's been running over several years, but over that time it's built up to something that's been quite solid and successful.''

-By Alexia Johnston

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