Scion lends modelling expertise to FE drive

Scion will be lending its expertise to a programme fronted by Beef + Lamb New Zealand aimed at eliminating the impact of facial eczema on NZ’s pastoral sector.

The Crown Research Institute is contributing its expertise in economic modelling to the seven-year programme announced in March by Agriculture Minister Todd McClay.

Scion senior research economist Richard Yao and resource economist Saeed Solaymani will be analysing survey data collected from 600 livestock farmers over the course of the programme to understand the impact and effectiveness of new prevention strategies and tools being developed to combat the disease.

Yao and Solaymani will run focus groups and collect survey data from about 600 pastoral farmers. They will gather information on farm demographics, revenue, expenditure such as animal health and labour costs, and the impact of facial eczema on profitability. Through rigorous data analysis and economic modelling, the team will assess the effectiveness of interventions and evaluate key factors that influence their uptake. 

“Results from the cost-benefit and productive efficiency analysis can be used by farmers to help them make decisions and assess the benefits of different options for managing facial eczema on their farms,” Yao said. 

At present there is no cure for facial eczema with zinc dosing one of only a few management tools available. 

The Eliminating Facial Eczema Impacts (EFEI) programme will bring together many of the country’s top researchers as part of a $20.75m partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, and the primary sector. 

It aims to reduce reliance on zinc as a preventative measure and limit the impact of facial eczema by delivering solutions developed with farmers and leading scientists at AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, universities and rural professionals.

By enhancing farmer adoption of prevention measures and new treatment technologies, the programme is expected to achieve a reduction of $38 million in economic costs associated with the disease. Longer term benefits to New Zealand’s economy are expected to increase by an additional $20m each year after the programme ends. 

The research will provide an opportunity for Yao and Solaymani to build on previous economic modelling at Scion. In 2023, the pair teamed up in a study, funded by Forest Growers Research, which looked at the value of mountain biking and its wellbeing benefits. It also explored the role of planted forests compared to other mountain biking destinations. 

Yao and his economics and decision support researchers also contributed to the five-year Marine Biosecurity Toolbox programme that aims to protect NZ’s marine environments by managing marine pests and invasive species. 

Yao’s team has delved into how much implementation initiatives would cost to create a healthier marine environment, and what the wider benefits would be. 

Yao said he hopes the programme is only just the start of greater collaboration with agricultural stakeholders. 

“Our modelling can be applied to many primary sectors. This latest research is another example of how scientists combine for a more unified, coordinated approach to finding solutions for New Zealand Inc.”