NZ scientists make breakthrough in Facial Eczema research
A significant breakthrough in understanding facial eczema (FE) in livestock brings New Zealand closer to reducing the disease’s devastating impact on farmers, animals, and rural communities.
AgResearch senior scientist Sue McCoard has been named 2022 winner of the prestigious McMeekan Memorial Award from the New Zealand Society of Animal Production.
“I am truly honoured to receive the McMeekan Memorial Award,” said McCoard, who is the first female recipient in its 47-year history. “It is an even greater honour to be placed in such distinguished ranks as those of the past honourees.
“Science is a team effort and I have been very lucky to work with a whole bunch of wonderful people, both within AgResearch and around New Zealand and the world”.
In a 20-year career at AgResearch, McCoard has conducted both fundamental and applied research, mainly in the area of early life nutrition and its impact on lifetime performance of ruminants – including their survival, growth, health and meat/milk production.
McCoard believes the award also recognised the strong working relationships she has developed with stakeholders and end-users, including farmers.
She told Rural News that partnerships between industry and science are particularly important to enable robust relevant science to be undertaken, and to support its uptake on working farms. For example, the development of a range of lamb rearing system options for both the dairy and meat sheep industries. For the future, McCoard says her research interests fall into four key areas:
The NZSAP, recognised as New Zealand’s major forum for the presentation of research results on farmed animals. The award is to honour an outstanding recent individual or joint contribution to animal production or to the Society. It’s named after society foundation member Campbell Percy “Mac” McMeekan (1908-1972), who was instrumental in the development of Ruakura.
Dignitaries from all walks of life – the governor general, politicians past and present, Maoridom- including the Maori Queen, church leaders, the primary sector and family and friends packed Our Lady of Kapiti’s Catholic church in Paraparaumu on Thursday October 23 to pay tribute to former prime Minister, Jim Bolger who died last week.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Todd McClay is encouraging farmers, growers, and foresters not to take unnecessary risks, asking that they heed weather warnings today.
With nearly two million underutilised dairy calves born annually and the beef price outlook strong, New Zealand’s opportunity to build a scalable dairy-beef system is now.
Graduates of a newly-updated Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) course are taking more value than ever from the programme, with some even walking away calling themselves the “farm CFO”.
Meet the Need, a farmer-led charity, says food insecurity in New Zealand is dire, with one in four children now living in a household experiencing food insecurity, according to Ministry of Health data.
Applications have now opened for the 2026 Meat Industry Association scholarships.
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