Northumberland farmer is lucky winner in trailer competition
6th January 2012 - Northumberland farmer Lewis Forster has won a trailer worth more than £5,000 after entering a competition organised by Novartis Animal Health and Farmers Weekly.
The Ifor William TA501 livestock trailer was first prize in the competition for sheep farmers who used, or were likely to use, the wormer Zolvix.
Mr Forster, who farms 1,200 acres with 1,200 ewes between Hexham and Allendale, said it was a pleasant surprise when he heard he had won the trailer.
“I was delighted to win the trailer. I think it was the first thing I’ve won in my life,” he said. “I used Zolvix for the first time last spring and I’m very impressed with the results. We are going to use it again in the future.”
Mr Forster’s vet, David J Parkins, of Intake Vets in Hexham, said: “It is good that the competition helped promote the use of Zolvix, which is a revolutionary product that has already made an impact.
“We have held two successful educational meetings so far with sheep clients regarding anthelmintic resistance and Zolvix use and as a result we have seen a good uptake in the use of this wormer.”
“We are finding that the farmers with existing on-farm resistance issues who have used Zolvix are finally managing to get rid of worm burdens in growing lambs. This helps lamb productivity and so they are able to sell their lambs sooner because the lambs are putting on weight more quickly,” said Mr Parkins.
“We strongly advocate using Zolvix when new stock are brought onto a farm. If proper quarantine dosing is not practiced then resistant worms can be introduced onto a farm where there were none before.”
Simon Harris, Farm Animal Product Manager with Novartis Animal Health, said: “Congratulations to Mr Forster for winning the trailer. I was very pleased to see such a level of interest in the competition. This will contribute to getting the message out that Zolvix has an important role to play in managing the problem of anthelmintic resistance, thus improving productivity.”
“Any sheep farmer with concerns about anthelmintic resistance or wishing to maximise their stocks productivity should get in touch with their vet, and follow SCOPS (the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep) guidelines when using Zolvix,” he said.
The trailer was supplied by J G Paxton & Sons, Pity Me, Co Durham.
For further information, please contact:
Novartis UK Press Office +44 (0) 1276 698691
Simon Harris Henry Creagh
Farm Animal Product Manager Kendalls Communications
+44 (0)1276 694437 +44 (0) 1394 610022
simon.harris@novartis.com henry.creagh@kendallscom.co.uk
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About Novartis Animal Health
Novartis Animal Health researches, develops and commercializes leading animal treatments that meet the needs of pet owners, farmers and veterinarians. Headquartered inBasel,Switzerlandand present in nearly 40 countries, Novartis Animal Health employs approximately 2,700 people worldwide. For more information, please visit www.ah.novartis.com
About Novartis
Novartis provides healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Focused solely on healthcare, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, consumer health products, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools. Novartis is the only company with leading positions in these areas. In 2010, the Group’s continuing operations achieved net sales of USD 50.6 billion, while approximately USD 9.1 billion (USD 8.1 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges) was invested in R&D throughout the Group. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ approximately 121,000 full-time-equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.
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