ParaBoss certified advisors and providers
To ensure they receive the best guidance about sheep parasite management, woolgrowers are being encouraged to seek out and use advisors certified by ParaBoss. Woolgrowers are also urged to use ParaBoss certified worm egg count (WEC) providers to ensure they receive accurate WEC results.
ParaBoss certified sheep advisors
The ParaBoss Certificate in Sheep Parasite Management is proving to be a much looked-for qualification by producers seeking sheep parasite management advice, as they know that advisors with this certification will give them the right advice.
“The management of sheep parasites is complex and requires an in-depth knowledge of available treatments and how and when to use them, pasture management, signs of parasite infection, monitoring strategies, regional variation and much more,” said Executive Officer of ParaBoss Advisor Training, Dr Deb Maxwell. “The ParaBoss Certificate in Sheep Parasite Management is the only course of its kind world-wide and gives advisors and producers the opportunity to gain this knowledge.”
The ParaBoss Certificate covers the core information from WormBoss, FlyBoss and LiceBoss, and graduates are confidently providing expert advice about effective integrated parasite management of sheep to producers across the country.
“Elanco has welcomed the opportunity to support 24 technical, marketing and sales colleagues to complete this training and earn a certificate in Sheep Parasite Management,” said Elanco Brand Manager and veterinarian, Dr Kathryn Humphries.
“The knowledge and confidence in parasite management has improved immensely providing everyone with information they use daily when upskilling resellers, who in turn provide advice to their sheep producer customers, or when talking directly with producers.
“Being certified advisors adds to the credibility of the guidance offered by the Elanco team. It is rewarding to witness the valuable management advice learnt from such a practical course being used directly to help sheep producers improve their decision making.”
The ParaBoss Certificate continues to rise in popularity with 330 enrolments and 270 graduates in the two years the course has been offered.
ParaBoss certified WEC QA service providers
With the ever-increasing development of drench resistance, and the rising cost of drenches, it is more important than ever to avoid unnecessary drenching. Knowing that your worm counts are accurate is essential to make the right drench decisions. By choosing a ParaBoss certified WEC provider, producers can be certain that their results are accurate.
The 2023 Worm Egg Count Quality Assurance Program has just been completed. Of the 42 businesses that participated this year, 26 immediately met the criteria for ParaBoss certification. A further 11 had minor issues that, if addressed, will allow them to be certified. Unfortunately, five participating businesses had major issues making them ineligible for certification in this round. The results, each year, highlight the ongoing need for certification, and that producers should be using WEC providers that have current ParaBoss certification.
“This was the first year we have participated in the WEC QA program,” said Alexandra Morona, Livestock Advisor of Yenda Producers Co-Operative, Griffith in NSW.
“The WEC resources and support provided by ParaBoss Advisor Training were helpful in making sure our processes yielded both accurate and repeatable results. With both myself and our other Livestock Advisor, Duncan Pixley, also being graduates of the ParaBoss Certificate in Sheep Parasite Management, we now confidently provide both WEC results and associated treatment and management recommendations. We are delighted that our business has been certified and would encourage others to invest in this opportunity.”
Alexandra Morona, Livestock Advisor of Yenda Producers Co-Operative, Griffith, NSW.
The ParaBoss WEC QA Program continues to demonstrate its value, according to Phil Stein, Laboratory Manager at Dawbuts, who said, “Our two experienced operators again demonstrated their proficiency, and we were also able to benchmark our three trainees’ skills without it affecting the lab’s overall certification. This ability to compare the results of those trainees against our experienced operators as well as over 120 operators nationally is so useful to highlight areas where we can further support our trainees.”
Phil Stein and staff in their Dawbuts laboratory
More information: You can find the ParaBoss Certified Advisors and the 2023 ParaBoss certified WEC providers under ‘Find an advisor’ on the ParaBoss website www.paraboss.com.au
This article appeared in the December 2023 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.
