Further farm infected with cattle disease

Confirmation another South Canterbury farm is infected with the cattle disease Mycoplasma Bovis comes as stakeholders warn of the impact rumours could have on the industry.

Two farms in the Waimate District were placed under restrictions last week after it was suspected they could be infected with the disease.

The Ministry for Primary Industries on Wednesday confirmed one of those farms had tested positive for the disease.

The disease causes illness in cattle, including udder infection (mastitis), abortion, pneumonia, and arthritis and was present in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The second farm has been placed under precautionary restrictions due to its association with the newly infected farm.

In addition to the two farms put on restrictive place notices, another farm had been put under restrictions to determine if it was also infected, MPI said on Wednesday.

The disease was first confirmed in mid-July after it was found on properties within the Van Leeuwan Dairy Group (VLDG).

The VLDG is owned by husband and wife Aad and Wilma van Leeuwen.

Some of the newly restricted farms neighboured VLDG properties, MPI said.

Waimate mayor Craig Rowley said he understood the disease took a while to become apparent.

‘‘It is not unexpected but it is very disappointing. I think MPI may have expected to have more properties.

‘‘I think there was a high risk for those in restrictive place notice.’’

Rowley said he had been working closely with MPI and was informed by it when there were any developments.

‘‘I have no doubt it will continue to have an impact on stock trading.

‘‘We have good knowledge but I’m not sure about people outside the district.’’

He said the ‘‘rumour mill does more damage than anything else’’ and advised anyone with questions to contact MPI and get information from the experts rather than listening to hearsay.

One South Canterbury stock agent said rumours had been floating around regarding the disease.

Peter Walsh and Associates owner Peter Walsh said the whole stock trade industry was ‘‘rife with rumour’’.

‘‘Once again it is hard to comment because how much is fact and how much is fiction.

‘‘Where the hell is it coming from?’’

He said potential buyers and the general public were nervous and did not want to take any risks because there were so many unknowns.

‘‘Is there a risk or isn’t there a risk?

‘‘How rampantly can it spread? How contagious is it? They said it was contained and now they found another farm. ‘‘Is it contained or not?’’ Federated Farmers South Canterbury president Mark Adams said he was not surprised the disease had been identified at another property.

‘‘I am not surprised, I am disappointed that they have found another incident of the incursion.

‘‘It also points to the fact that the MPI strategy was working. It is my understanding it was on the third test the result was found.’’

The result showed ‘‘we have to allow MPI to test and test and test’’ and he said the eradication strategy was still supported. Adams hoped MPI would continue to take that approach.

‘‘There is huge support for the eradication strategy, We are hoping that will stay.’’

Regarding the stock trade, Adams said there were still emotional decisions being made on trading stock.

‘‘A lot of the response was based on overseas data, now they have their own testing, confidence will be growing.

‘‘No one in MPI wants to get this wrong. We can have confidence that they are interpreting the data and leveraging their expertise and their knowledge to guide the conversation to what is next.’’

In October MPI confirmed about 4000 cattle worth up to $8 million will be slaughtered to halt the spread of the cattle disease.

MPI called for concerned or struggling farmers to call their Mycoplasma Bovis Farmer Support Line on 027 444 9380.