More public meetings are being planned over an increasingly wider area as farmers reveal their shock at Mycoplasma bovis having made its way from Waimate all the way to Hawke’s Bay.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is due to hold a public meeting in Winton, Southland, on December 19 and in Hastings on December 20.
One Hawke’s Bay farmer yesterday told the Hawkes Bay Today newspaper these were "scary, scary times" for the industry.
Earlier this week, the MPI confirmed four more properties had tested positive for the disease.
Three were within a farming enterprise in Winton, one was near Hastings, and the ministry strongly suspected a further property near Ashburton.
Hastings District dairy farmer and rural community board member Nick Dawson said he was very concerned about the situation and did not think the ministry had it under control.
"I think the horse might have bolted here, I can’t see them containing it at the moment but that’s just my personal view," Mr Dawson said.
A ministry spokeswoman said the affected farm — which they would not name — had about 750 cows.
"We do understand community concern about the disease and we are strongly encouraging farmers under controls or investigation to talk to their neighbours, customers and suppliers," she said.
Federated Farmers Hawke’s Bay president Will Foley said he was shocked the disease had spread so far north.
"It’s a real bummer that this has happened and it’s a shock to Hawke’s Bay farmers that it landed in our patch.
"The stock were traced in a movement from the South Island quite some time ago, connected to the Van Leeuwen group where this has all started from, but obviously the stock movement was before they were locked down," Mr Foley said.
"So that’s not a good thing that the stock have been up here for quite some time, but from what we’ve been told from MPI at this stage it has been contained, so hopefully that is the case."
Mr Dawson said he hoped he and others would receive answers at the Hastings meeting.
He said he believed the disease had already spread through other parts of the country.
"There could be calves throughout the country infected, and in fact I’m sure there are."
"It’s scary, scary times," he said.
— Hawkes Bay Today
