“We are operating under MPI restriction so everything we do has to be done with a permit but we can still take in cattle and so no farmers under contract are impacted at this stage.
“Maize growers who take our compost can still do that as anything going to an arable operation has no limitation so long as it’s not grazing animals.
“But again, it’s all being done under permit as we are being treated no different to any other farm.”
No decision has yet been made on a depopulation process or the ongoing cleaning and disinfectant of the feedlot.
“We did have sheep grazing here but, while they posed no risk, a permit was approved to remove them.”
Ascertaining just what level of transmission the now quarantined 44 cattle might have had with the 14,000 other cattle in the feedlot is ongoing.
“Of course, potentially, they are a risk having been in close proximity with other pens of cattle.”
The feedlot cattle are slaughtered at Anzco’s Canterbury plant, 10km away.