Ministry for Primary Industries director-general Ray Smith visited Ashburton to speak to M.bovis-affected farmers about their experiences with phased eradication. Photo: Supplied
The boss of the Ministry for Primary Industries was in Mid Canterbury recently to listen to farmers' personal experiences as they go through Mycoplasma bovis phased eradication.
MPI's newly appointed director-general, Ray Smith, started in the role on November 1, after Martyn Dunne retired.
Mr Smith was keen to speak to
industry members and M.bovis-affected farmers about their experiences with phased eradication, to hear what farmers were saying and act on feedback.
His attendance at a Federated Farmers meeting in Ashburton on November 21 drew a mixed response.
Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers president Michael Salvesen said the farmers were fine with him being there as ''he was talking the talk''. But ''we'll see if he's walking the walk'' was the general thought.
''And [we'll] give him a bit of space to do that because there's no point in putting unreasonable pressure on him when he's trying to fix the problems they have got ... we'll just wait and see,'' Mr Salvesen said.
