Federated Farmers dairy chairman Chris Lewis says the financial predicament is serious as funding options dry up and farmers reaching the end of their tether plea for help.
“Farmers are pouring their hearts out in desperation for survival.
“Banks are putting untold pressure on now – this is not just the local branch having the conversation, these farmers need some cash now, not to make the budget work for next season but to make the 20th of the month budget.”
Lewis said funding options had dried up.
“I can see and hear the desperation, these people are broken now.
“This is not the New Zealand way to do business, this disease is not the fault of anyone, it’s happened and if MPI doesn’t speed up and act quickly then financially and mentally people, and industry, are going to be ruined for a very long time,” Lewis said.
“Yes the taxpayers need some ticks in the boxes and we don’t want to undermine that, but when the animals have been killed by order, and six months ago, you would think MPI would have taken care of the paperwork.
“We have got to be fair to MPI but they have got to play fair to the farmer – this is taking a huge toll now and we can’t have farmers hanging on any longer.
“For these farmers MPI needs to speed things up right now,” Lewis said.
“We don’t want to chuck MPI in the bus just yet, we need to support their efforts – there can’t be too many secrets left.
“But to do the right thing we need all the information because 13,000 farmers thinking on this must be better than a few experts who don’t know farming backwards.”
MPI director response Geoff Gwyn said eradication continued to be an option with the Ministry working to a late March-early April timetable for a decision.
“It (eradication) is everybody’s preferred option but it has to be achievable and affordable.
“But to be clear, long-term management is also an option, as it always has been,” Gwyn said.
“We are well aware of the unfortunate impact of the uncertainty on farmers and we acknowledge it is difficult getting the latest facts in front of all farmers in a situation that is moving so rapidly.”
To date MPI had received 73 compensation claims.
Gwyn said the processing of claims was time-consuming and complex and MPI was now providing support to DairyNZ to enable further claim assistance to farmers.
“We are about to give that a boost.”
Contrary to much belief, the industry input of $11.2 million was not funding to pay compensation – it was a contribution to the response for operational activity.
However, Gwyn said funding was not the issue in the time taken for assessing claims.
“We are funded for compensation liabilities, what takes time is farmers putting together verifiable claims which then need to be assessed.”
Meantime the number of infected properties continues to grow, with a further property identified in Ashburton and the disease now spread into Waitaki.
MPI is urging farmers to come forward with all animal movements, particularly related to the two infected hubs going back to January 2016.
The Ministry cleared concern related to breeding bulls sold from a South Canterbury infected property to Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) in February 2017, given the sale period was outside the introduction of the disease to the property.
MPI said while effectively the risk period now dated back to January 2016, each infected property had its own individual tracing period defined.
LIC general manager biological systems Richard Spelman said the company was aware of the situation and was working closely with MPI.
“MPI contacted us about eight weeks ago and we have provided extra samples from the animals of interest.
“We tested all our animals in October last year before mating, we are continuing to test as the season goes through and we are watching our animals closely for Mb signs in animal health,” Spelman said.
“It is very important from a commercial perspective that we maintain that vigilance.”
Spelman said LIC was confident in assuring clients all their bulls were safe and clear of M bovis.
Meanwhile, MPI said the long awaited Pathways Report “is imminent”.
