Growing awareness of wormer resistance
A survey of UK farmers has found that awareness of wormer resistance is growing, but confusion remains over the best way to combat it.
The survey was conducted by Farming Against Wormer Resistance (FAWR), which was initiated by Novartis Animal Health and supported by the National Sheep Association (NSA) and the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS).
According to the results, over half of the 400 farmers to respond were aware of resistance in their area. This rose to 78 per cent and 76 per cent in the south west of England and south wales respectively. Further, three quarters of the respondents were worried about resistance.
However, Fiona Anderson, veterinary manager at Novartis, said: "I’m concerned that less than 30 per cent [of farmers] had actually tested for [resistance].
"While the number of farmers aware of possible productivity decline as a result of resistance is encouraging, it does reveal that testing is still not seen as important for a robust worming strategy, and shows a gap between concern and action that we need to address."
NSA chief executive Phil Stocker highlighted the importance of farmers "build[ing] closer relationships with vets", and using faecal egg counting to monitor parasites in sheep.
He added: "If we don’t use our wormers responsibly they will have a limited shelf life…It is important to work with a vet, use the SCOPS guidelines and get to understand wormers and worm life cycles in more detail. The success of our industry depends on it."
The survey also revealed an increase in the number of sheep farmers seeking worming advice from their vet, with three-quarters of the respondents contacting their vet, and over half doing so twice yearly.
The FAWR project is set to continue throughout the coming months, aiming to turn increased awareness into action, and encouraging farmers to test for resistance.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
