LONG-awaited rain by farmers throughout the Wanganui region has had a huge negative impact with the facial eczema spore counts doubling in a week.
Government agriculture agency AsureQuality count of 29,000 last week had more than doubled this week to a high count of 60,000 yesterday.
The farms surveyed by the agency were in Turakina, Westmere and Fordell.
Agency district manager Wayne Baxter said yesterday the huge rise had come as a result of the rain and the humid conditions.
The humidity spurs growth of a pasture fungus that produces a toxin that poisons animal livers and puts a chlorophyll breakdown product into the bloodstream, triggering skin damage like severe sunburn, Mr Baxter said.
The latest figures were a warning to farmers in the region to work on prevention and how to protect their stock, he said.
Common techniques for preventing facial eczema include giving zinc oxide by regular oral drenching, zinc sulphate via the water supply, long-acting boluses inserted in a stomach of the animal and spraying the pasture with fungicide, Mr Baxter said.
However, a second facial eczema spore survey will be carried out today on Wanganui regional farms in the Mangamahu Valley, Fordell, Westmere and Maxwell by Wanganui Veterinary Services.
Senior vet Dave Barton said yesterday the service had found a 30 percent rise in the spore count last week.
If that count has doubled this week, the service would be urging Farmers to take immediate action, he said.
“But most farmers won’t be too concerned about sheep because they’re only fetching about $30 each at the moment,” he said.
Mr Barton said most farmers weren’t fast enough off the mark with prevention measures unfortunately.
“They tend to leave it until it becomes urgent.”
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