A Bay of Plenty farmer convicted for the wilful ill-treatment of dairy cows, including breaking 115 cows' tails, has had his sentence upgraded from home detention to jail.

Waikino farmer Lourens Barend Erasmus, 40, was sentenced to two years one month jail in Rotorua High Court yesterday.

He was originally sentenced to 10 months' home detention with judicial monitoring when he appeared before the Waihi District Court last year.

But the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) appealed against the sentence and Erasmus was sentenced to prison when he appeared yesterday.

He earlier pleaded guilty to three charges of wilfully ill-treating cows including breaking the tails of 115 cows by hitting them with milking cups and steel pipes.

In February 2012, an MPI Animal Welfare compliance team entered the property farmed by Erasmus for the purpose of inspecting the dairy herd.

MPI Waikato/BOP compliance manager Brendon Mikkelsen says the inspection revealed serious animal welfare issues with cows on the property showing obvious signs of physical injuries and severe distress.

Twenty-five of the 135 dairy cow herd on the property were euthanised due to the serious pain and distress they were in.

Brendon says those injuries included broken legs, swollen hocks, weeping lesions, swollen joints and infections and fractured legs.

Under section 28 of the Animal Welfare Act 1999 the charges laid against Erasmus can attract a maximum jail term of five years' imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of $100,000 and disqualification from owning and or exercising authority in respect of animals.

'Persons in charge of animals have a fundamental obligation for the welfare of those animals. The vast majority of persons in charge of animals on farms take their obligations very seriously.

Brendon says the Eramus offending was the worst type of animal cruelty dealt with within the Waikato district and likely nationally within the court.

'This matter appears to be an isolated incident. The investigation, which started in February 2012, revealed the defendant had been breaking his cows' tails, hitting them on the hind legs with steel pipes.

'The sentencing reflects MPI's and the court's intolerance of any animal welfare abuse. MPI believes the sentencing reflects the seriousness of the offending.

'MPI's animal welfare compliance team cannot be everywhere so it is vital farmers, industry, associated on-farm service providers and the public maintain vigilance and report alleged Animal Welfare Act breaches on our hotline – 0800 00 83 33. Calls can be treated in-confidence if necessary.”