First Waikato farmer with M bovis-infected cattle tells of toll on family

Farmers turned out in their hundreds for a meeting in Waikato, days out from a Government decision on the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis.

The community is divided over what to do, with some support for a continued eradication programme. 

Farmers hoping for encouraging signs ahead of Monday's big announcement by the Government on what will be done about the disease instead got a grim reality check.

The Ministry for Primary Industries and Biosecurity New Zealand presented harsh facts about the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak.

"So at the moment there is no smoking gun, but investigations are ongoing," one official told the meeting.

The officials also fielded some troubling questions from farmers.

"I was just wondering why there wasn't a vaccine?" one asked.

Another told officials: "We had a national border, Cook Strait which is water. Why couldn't you just confine it to the South Island?" 

The first Waikato farmer affected by the disease revealed he had drafted stock in from a South Island farm in 2016. It was one of the first affected by Mycoplasma bovis.

Waikato Farmer Henk Smit told 1 NEWS pressure from the public is quite hard on his son.

"He's got a little kid at school and he gets the pressure from the other people."

Mr Smit reckons he can manage the disease, but many farmers 1 NEWS spoke to felt eradication is the only answer.

"I think it would be best for the farming community in New Zealand for this disease to be eradicated totally," one said.

Another said: "I'm worried the horse has bolted already and it's too late."

Roger Smith of Biosecurity New Zealand said there are two options.

"We've weighed them up, given them to the industry and to Government and they'll make the decision on Monday," he said.