Campaign to help farmers get Wormwise

Parasitic worms in sheep and cattle are becoming more resistant to drenches. Picture / Greg Bowker

A new national strategy is being launched today to tackle parasitic worms which are estimated to cause more than $100 million of livestock-related losses every year.

The campaign - called Wormwise - comes amid signs the worms are becoming more resistant to drenches, a factor which could see losses rocket towards levels seen 15 years ago.

Worms damage the gut of animals so that food is not so well absorbed, causing major weight and production loss amid New Zealand's 40.1 million sheep and 4.4 million cattle.

These numbers indicate at least $90 million is spent annually on anthelmintics (worm-killing agents) to control worms in sheep and cattle, said Veterinary Association spokesman Lewis Griffiths.

Meat & Wool New Zealand chairman Jeff Grant said losses were worth up to $260 million a year 15 years ago. But he believed new drenches and better farm management meant they were probably in the region of $100- $160 million now.

Grant's fear is that resistance to current drenches could push the annual losses back towards $260 million within five years. There is now widespread resistance to all "families" of drench and it is feared this resistance will escalate.

A recent national survey indicated the level of drench resistance is already where it was projected to be in 15-20 years.

On sheep farms, two-thirds of the farms tested in the survey had evidence of drench resistance. On beef farms, 94 per cent had resistance to at least one of the drench families.

Farmers have previously identified managing worms as one of their biggest challenges and have asked for consistent information on testing, drench selection, grazing management and genetic solutions.

The three-year Wormwise strategy to address these issues is being funded by Meat & Wool, the Sustainable Farming Fund, the private sector Association for Animal Health and Crop Protection and the Veterinary Association.

Farmers are being urged to adopt a broader approach to worm control, and more than 20,000 information packs are being sent over the next few weeks. Wormwise also includes training for farmers and support people, and research and development.

The campaign's sponsoring organisations have developed a set of best practice principles for managing parasites. They say farmers need to reassess their worm management and develop an annual animal health plan, including monitoring worm burdens through faecal egg counting.

"We can't eradicate parasites but if farmers understand their life cycles, monitor their prevalence throughout the year, and heed the Wormwise advice they can certainly minimise the impact on their businesses," said Griffiths.


Parasitic worms

* New Zealand has about 40 million sheep and 4.4 million cattle.
* Parasitic worms cause major weight and production losses.
* It is estimated the losses may be worth up to $160 million a year.
* Treatments cost $90 million or more a year.
* There are fears resistance to drenches will escalate.