Bay of Plenty is once again free of the livestock disease bovine tuberculosis after two dairy herds tested clear of the disease.
The two herds were found to be infected with TB last year, leading to the region losing its TB-free status.
After extensive testing, both farms have now been declared free of the disease.
TBfree Bay of Plenty committee chairman Earle Wells says the two farms were infected as a result of stock movements and the farmers involved had worked hard to remove the disease from their properties.
He says farmers need to remain vigilant to protect their stock from Tb.
Mr Wells says that, nationally, New Zealand remains on track to achieve a target of 0.2% infection rate in its herds by 2013.
Currently the infection rate stands at 0.23%, with no deer farms infected in the North Island.
