It’s “premature” to zero in on imported bull semen as the likely source of the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis, the Ministry for Primary Industries says.

Last week, Lincoln University honorary professor of agri-food systems Keith Woodford said it was “increasingly evident” that legally-imported European-sourced semen was the likely source of the disease – and that it struck first in Southland by late 2014 or even earlier.

While MPI response director Geoff Gwyn doesn’t rule out European-sourced semen as the source, he says it’s one of just seven potential entry pathways for the disease being considered. He tells Newsroom: “Mr Woodford is premature in his assessment of it being the likely source.”