He wants the Mycoplasma bovis decision-makers to front up as the second round of culling infected herds gets going.
All confidence in compensation promises had been lost, he said.
The Ministry for Primary Industries late last month said a further 22,300 cattle from all infected properties will be killed by the end of May.
About 5000 cattle were culled from the initially infected South Canterbury properties in December.
MPI said the cull is now the most appropriate action to contain the spread of the disease until a decision can be made on how M bovis will be managed in the future.
Meanwhile, on Friday two more infected properties, both in Ashburton District, were announced growing the number of infected properties to 30 with 48 other farms under Restricted Place Notice.
Lewis said it is not on for farmers to let their herds go, given the situation of those farmers who had already faced the chopping block.
“Why would you trust Government when the first lot of farmers are facing financial ruin. They have not even been paid meat money,” Lewis said.
He urged extreme caution.
“As farmers we need to have the utmost confidence in MPI and that’s not what I am hearing.
“Banks are baulking and contractors are threatening law suits for non-payment of bills.
“The question we ask is just who is making the decisions to approve or not approve the compensation. This has got to be the line in the sand.
“The second round of culling is about to start and to say farmers are at the end of their tether is an understatement.
“Whoever is responsible for the ultimate decisions needs to front up now and give us some answers.”
Lewis said the first round of farmers had done everything in good faith for the right reasons but they had been let down by the Government.
“If you were a farmer in this second round why would you sign over your stock to them.”
While Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor has said he doesn’t have the power to make the compensation decisions he could “kick things along to ensure as much resource as possible is going into the process”.
“The minister needs to stop kicking the ball around the field and put it between the posts.”
While industry initially supported the response processes that support was fast waning.
“My word of advice is don’t let them (MPI) cull those animals until you have assurance of compensation in a fair and timely process.”
In a plea to MPI, M bovis farmers Mary and Sarel Potgieter, now trying to make a new life in Australia, said they are desperate.
“Could you please let me know how far MPI is with our loss of production compensation?
“We are at that point now where MPI promised us we would be no better or worse off but we are worse off, mentally, financially and physically,” Mary Potgieter wrote to MPI.
She claims MPI is in breach of the law that was supposed to protect farmers.
“Please take note we found the M bovis and we feel we did the country a service so we think it’s time MPI steps up. “They are letting us down.
“I’m getting to that stage now where I stopped feeling sorry for finding M bovis and how it completely ruined our lives.
“This is also effecting Sarel and myself as husband and wife.”
Potgieter said their problem started on June 17.
“Our response costs got shocking results as back payment from MPI is only offering us a quarter maybe of what we spent.
“Our first milk production claim went in at the end of January for months July 2017 to the end of January 2018 loss of production – and we have heard nothing back.
“Please, I’m getting so worried and depressed I need to know what’s going on.
“We are very much worse off and I’m getting desperate,” Potgieter said.
