It was a directive set up by Ministry for Primary Industries when the disease was first detected in South Canterbury in July last year.
The confusion within Mid Canterbury was over the use - or rather the lack of use - of locals being able to help others within the community after MPI response teams left.
An MPI spokesperson said since eradication was decided, there had been weekly calls with Rural Support Trust's (RST) local leaders as systems were put into place for the longer term programme of work. They were being asked at the weekly meetings to recommend others to be trained up as needed.
''Additional RST members who are put forward/volunteer for Mycoplasma bovis work are being trained up to come online as necessary.
''Each farm under controls is assigned a Rural Support Trust person to look after their welfare needs, contracted to the Mycoplasma bovis response.''
Rural Support Trust Mid Canterbury offered neighbourly support or more professional advice to those within the community who sought help; it was locals helping locals.
Assistance could be in the form of farming or business advice, financial information, health, mental health or counselling services; in all aspects of rural agribusiness; dry stock, dairy, cropping, horticulture, forestry, poultry, and rural contracting. RST Mid Canterbury want to support those in need within their rural community.
The MPI spokesperson said initially there were four Rural Support Trust member leads, who had others working with them, with the knowledge, training and experience on M. bovis to help with the types of questions asked about the disease.
''This started with one; Sarah Barr, who is South-Canterbury-based and was therefore right in the thick of the first cases.
''When the disease was discovered in Southland, John Kennedy from the Southland RST was added.
''Since then two others - Neil Bateup and Lon Anderson - have also joined to manage the other clusters as they were found.''
Before the most recent find, South Island-wide there were 33 confirmed cases of M.bovis; eight known in Mid Canterbury (figures have since been merged with the Canterbury tally).
MPI said in the early days many local Rural Support Trusts said they were not comfortable with answering M. bovis-related calls due to the information they needed to know.
It was an agreed approach by Rural Support Trust chairs and MPI Welfare.
''With their agreement another option was added to the RST 0800 number, 'push 0 for bovis', so that the calls would be directed to RST people who were directly involved in the response.''
''As always, the local Rural Support Trusts carry out their valuable roles including support, visits, care packages and liaison for farmers and families who are stressed or under pressure, whether under Mycoplasma bovis controls or not,'' the MPI spokesperson said.
- with Toni Williams, Otago Daily Times
