The Dung Beetle Release Strategy Group released its first batch of dung beetles on a dairy farm in Southland last month and the group's chairman John Pearce said the beetles would help transform paddocks around the country and transform New Zealand's agricultural environment.
''At long last we can look at being seen to be truly clean and green,'' Mr Pearce said.
The release was the first of 40 which were planned in the next 12 months, he said.
The group had gained permission to import and release 11 species of dung beetles.
The variety of species allowed the group to release beetles which were appropriate for the region in which they would be released, he said.
''Some prefer drier dung, some prefer wetter dung, some prefer horse dung.''
''The ones we brought down here are specifically for that climate,'' Mr Pearce said.
Federated Farmers president Bruce Wills said he was following the release with interest.
''It is estimated that animal dung covers 700,000 hectares of pastoral land in New Zealand,'' Mr Wills said.
''Dung beetles will process that dung for food and reproduction, eventually breaking it down into a sawdust-like material. Without them it can take up to a month for the dung to break down.''
''Federated Farmers is supportive of the Dung Beetle Release Strategy Group's plan to release more dung beetles on to farms in other parts of the country and the environmental and economic benefits that they bring,'' he said.
Mr Pearce said $600,000 had been spent researching the viability and safety of the beetles and he was confident they would transform paddocks throughout New Zealand, which would bring productivity increases and environmental benefits.
''The cows should never have come without the beetles,'' he said.
''There's only one safe place for animal excrement and that is in the ground.''
The beetles feed and breed on dung, rolling dung into balls which their eggs are layed in. They then bury the balls beneath the surface.
It reaped benefits for the pasture and soil and it stunted the life-cycle of parasitic worms, he said.
For more information visit http://dungbeetle.org.nz
- Timothy Brown.