Facial eczema costs the New Zealand sheep and beef industry an estimated $332 million annually, and a three-year data collection programme is now underway to build a model that can predict where and when it will strike.

Dr Cara Brosnahan, principal scientist at Beef + Lamb New Zealand says farmers have been sending in samples every two weeks from October to May across three years, allowing researchers to map where the spores actually exist in New Zealand. The data feeds into a predictive model, with prevention the goal.

“Facial eczema, you have to prevent it rather than there is no cure.

“So it’s really important that as early as possible you know if it’s going to be a high-risk year or through the season if you know what management you need to do.”

Spores have been detected as far south as Otago over the three years, she says. The fungus is present at low numbers, but the fact it can grow there is what matters.

Brosnahan says Beef + Lamb is running the work through its Eliminating Facial Eczema Impacts programme, co-funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF) fund, with DairyNZ, Fonterra and LIC as in-kind partners. The programme is designed to produce outcomes fit for purpose across multiple species, given facial eczema affects sheep, cattle, deer and camelids.

One strand of that programme is developing an alternative to the current facial eczema tolerance test, something that could be used on more animals more easily. Work began in 2021, required a pivot when early results did not hold up, and is now continuing under a revised approach, she says.

Parasites are the other major priority, with an estimated cost to some farms of $100,000 a year. Beef + Lamb has launched FastWorm ID, a test that identifies worm species from a faecal sample, says Brosnahan. The test is run by Awanui Veterinary and is accessed through a vet.

“It gives you that information faster, so you can actually make those decisions in a timely manner,” Brosnahan says.

Different worm species require different management responses, she says. Haemonchus, or Barber’s pole worm, can ramp up rapidly, making early identification important. In cattle, Ostertagia is more pathogenic than Cooperia and warrants earlier intervention.

Beef + Lamb is running 100 farmers through livestock parasite management groups to build farm-level worm knowledge, with further extension under consideration, Brosnahan says.

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