Federated Farmers is standing its ground as its dispute with the Ministry of Agriculture over the conduct of welfare inspectors takes an ugly turn.

Details have emerged of a letter from a Southland vet to the Ministry over the condition of cattle put down on a Southland farm during last month’s snow storm.

Federated Farmers supported the farmer concerned, and are adamant the letter was deliberately leaked to divert attention from an investigation into the conduct of MAF animal welfare inspectors.

Feds Dairy Chairperson Lachlan McKenzie says leak has to be an inside job.

“The only people we supplied that information to was MAF – only three parties knew about this, the parties who wrote the affidavits, ourselves, and MAF.

"It hasn’t come from ourselves, and the party who wrote it wouldn’t want it public."

The initial case relates to alleged bullying by an animal welfare inspector towards several Southland farmers.

Lachlan McKenzie says this latest incident has nothing to do with the wider issue.

"This is nothing about animal welfare.

"Someone is trying to put a smokescreen up, but it’s about the appropriate or inappropriate behaviour of MAF staff investigating those complaints.

"We certainly want an apology from them, at the very least.”