Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor has faced up to worried Ashburton farmers as the reality of the $900m Mycoplasma bovis eradication plan sinks in.
About 800 people gathered to put questions to MPI officials about animal welfare concerns, delays, compensation, and where stock on notice can graze.
Some farmers expressed doubts about whether the government's plan to cull more than 150,000 cattle over the next ten years would work.
Mr O'Connor said he accepted the government "could do better".
"We've just got to work with farmers and industry so that there are clear signals to farmers as to what they should do."
The government yesterday implemented 50 new staff at a new command centre in in Cambridge to coordinate their response.
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