But despite adding a further 1000 cattle to its list for eradication the Primary Industries Ministry remained confident the disease was confined to South Canterbury.
Eight properties had now been confirmed with the disease, the latest farm completely separate from the initially infected van Leeuwen Dairy Group farms.
While MPI had been aggressively testing and tracing all cattle movements since putting the farm under lockdown two weeks ago, there had been no indication the latest property, one of several believed to be owned by the Whillans Group, had any connection with a van Leeuwen farm.
MPI response incident controller David Yard said it was likely a second Whillans Group property put on restricted place notice at the same time could test positive for the disease.
“We have no link as yet (to van Leeuwen) and we are still testing and waiting for results on the second restricted place property.”
Questioned why all Whillans farms had not been put under lockdown, as all 16 van Leeuwen farms were when the disease was confirmed on the first property, Yard said the decision was risk-based.
“We assess each property and consider all risk very carefully and at the moment there are some subtle differences between these latest two farms and their wider group,” Yard said.
There had been very few animal movements and low level of infection.
The van Leeuwen properties were at a very high level with significant animal movements posing high risk and hence the decision to lock down all 16 farms, Yard said.
He understood farmers wanted some reassurance infected and risk properties were locked down and protocols were being followed.
“They can be assured all decisions and actions are risk-based and very carefully considered.”
Sharemilker Leo Bensegues, farming on a Whillans property, told a public meeting in Morven his herd was the latest farm to be infected.
He raised the idea of double fencing and asked that MPI change the requirements.
Yard said as a result of discussion at the meeting MPI was considering introducing a prescribed fence requirement with a set boundary distance.
There were already such requirements for infected or restricted place notice properties.
Because the erection of temporary fences was a specific requirement imposed under the Biosecurity Act, the cost of complying would be repaid.
Yard said MPI had initially imposed a more specific requirement that temporary fences should be at a set distance from boundary fences but feedback from affected farmers determined the method to be overly restrictive to normal farm operations.
“We are looking at it again now and will have something out as soon it’s approved.”
Yard said it would be very disappointing if the disease was found outside the Waimate-Morven district.
“At the moment it is believed it is still contained and the overall aim remains to eliminate the disease from the district.”
MPI would know more on any likely further spread of the disease once the Pathway Tracing Report was released in the next couple of weeks.
Meanwhile, the last cattle from the first depopulated dairy farm were removed for slaughter on Wednesday and MPI had now started the depopulation on the next property, Yard said.
The number of cattle to be eradicated had risen to 5000.
At the completion of depopulation the farms would be disinfected, followed by a stand-down period where no cattle would be allowed back onto the property.
Restricted place notices on two farms had been replaced by notices of direction.
While they restricted movements of risk goods it was the first step in removing all movement restrictions from the farms.
The decision to do that was based on negative surveillance results and how connected the farms were with infected properties.
Yard said there was still a great amount of stress on farmers and he urged communities to get behind them.
“There is a lot more the community could do to support farmers who need to up the responsibility for their own onfarm biosecurity.
“It is too early for anyone to relax yet,” Yard said.
