New Zealand will kill over 1,50,000 cows to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis infection caused by the bovine. The plan was announced by the New Zealand government on Monday. The cows will be killed in phases and the first phase will kill around 26,000 cows, process for which is already underway.

The Mycoplasma bovis was reported in New Zealand for the first time in July, 2017. The infection causes several diseases in the cows that can spread quickly. The government has said that it is taking the step to eradicate the danger of the infection spreading to farms of New Zealand.

It has been made clear by the officials that all the cows belonging to an infected farm will be killed even if they are healthy. The slaughtering of the cows will be done at processing plants.

According to reports, the officials in New Zealand have the right to kill the cows and enter any farm if they doubt that the farm might be affected. The farmer cannot protest against the move as it is to protect the country from  the spreading of the disease and in larger good of New Zealand, claimed its government.

The government has said that it will try to provide relief to the affected farmers in the form of compensation. The officials have also acknowledged that it will be tough for the farmers to deal with the loss of their cattle and that their pain can be understood.

The population of cows in New Zealand is almost double than its human population. New Zealand exports milk in a large scale. The cost of killing the cows is estimated at 886 million New Zealand dollars. It will only be clear by the end of year if the culling of the cows is working.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2018 10:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).