A report from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research calculates that a foot and mouth disease incursion could cost the country $14.3 billion a year in lost export values.
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said the report reinforces his government’s commitment to “stamp out” any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion.
“Immediate and decisive action will be required if an outbreak occurred and this is why Cabinet has endorsed an approach of urgent eradication, along with the use of vaccination if appropriate.”
The Ministry for Primary Industries presented the government with three management options for consideration – stamping out the disease, with the possible use of emergency vaccination for short-term containment as needed; managing an outbreak over a longer period using vaccination; or living with the disease, he said.
“The evidence clearly supported ‘stamping out’ the disease, either with or without emergency vaccination.”
Using an emergency vaccination would take around 10 months to achieve, cost around $1.9bn in operating costs and compensation, and see a one-off $8.4bn impact on the economy in lost trade.
The option to stamp out without vaccination would take 15 months, cost $2.98bn and carry a $15.3bn dollar loss of trade.
“Living with the disease would have an ongoing annual economic impact of $14.3bn.”
