The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is investigating alleged animal neglect at a Taupo farm owned by New Zealand's largest dairy farmer.
Earlier this month, Alan Crafer's company was fined after dozens of milking cows starved to death on another of its farms in Hawkes Bay in what the local SPCA termed the nation's largest case of stock abuse.
A man who worked on the Taharua property, and doesn't want to be identified, claims cows have been neglected as recently as last week.
"You could see it everywhere, everyone knew there were dead cows all over the place. It was out of control, he says.
"Twenty five cows died on a cold night sitting in a paddock. They just died of cold and starvation and that was in one night. There is no excuse for that."
Crafer blames mismanagement for the problems.
"I basically consider myself the union delegate for cows. As the union delegate for cows I consider humans to be dumb animals and unfortunately they do a lot of dumb things and the only thing I have ever done is trust humans to do the right thing," says Crafer.
MAF have investigated Crafer's farms over 20 times. His company is also being investigated over an incident where a bull was sent to the meat works, which was so emaciated it couldn't stand.
But despite the number of investigations he has only been successfully prosecuted once.
Last month his company was fined for allowing the ill treatment of animals on his farm north of Napier at Te Pohue.
The farm's manager was sentenced to 300 hours of community work.
In that case over 100 bobby calves were left in a paddock with no water or shade during a heat wave. Some died and others had to be put down.
On the same property hundreds of dairy cows were left without enough food and water. At least 50 died and some were so emaciated they were shot.
But he claims he has been wrongly targeted.
"All our cows are on marginal country that has been brought in from sheep and beef country or is in high altitude areas. When you are in a developing situation you won't have the biggest and fattest cows in New Zealand," says Crafer.
MAF says the latest investigations will take some time. Crafer expects he will be cleared.
