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A nationwide shortage of zinc – the preferred treatment for facial eczema -- is causing concern to dairy farmers in the North Island, especially in Waikato.
DairyNZ general manager extension Andrew Reid says the wet warm weather in Waikato and potentially in Taranaki and the Lower North Island has seen FE spore counts rise. Farmers are being urged to monitor this closely.
Reid says if farmers can’t get zinc they should talk to their vets about alternative products and check the effectiveness of such products.
Last season FE seriously hampered dairy and sheep and beef farmers.
The other area of concern, says Reid, is the West Coast of the South Island.
“They still have ongoing wet; there's no significant relief from the rain. Farmers have a watching brief from a wellness perspective, and they are frustrated at not being able to get on pastures because of the wet."
He notes that Northland and Hawkes Bay have been dry, but elsewhere farmers are poised for a reasonable autumn and are generally optimistic.
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