Ten-year-strategy (From Gazette & Herald)

Ten-year-strategy

A TEN-year strategy for livestock health and welfare and to protect society from animal disease has been announced by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

DEFRA minister Ben Bradshaw said it would require partnership between the farming, veterinary and wildlife sectors. "There are real benefits that can be achieved by improving the health and welfare of our animals. We need to work together to ensure that these benefits are achieved and that the associated costs are appropriately balanced," he said.

One of the key areas of work in both the strategy and the Implementation plan has been a working group of 40 veterinary and farming representatives which has set in motion research to look at common diseases affecting the livestock sector.

Reading University has been commissioned to work with key interested parties, such as the British Cattle Veterinary Association to study the diseases costs of bovine viral diarrhoea and digital dermatitis (lameness).

The study will examine the current losses faced by farmers with the two diseases, the costs of keeping the diseases off the farm and the benefits associated with freedom from disease. These will be based on modelling different farm-size scenarios.

In the sheep sector, Reading University is to look at problems of foot-rot and ecto-parasites, such as sheep scab and lice, while the British Pig Executive has asked Reading to look at enzoonotic pneumonia. Other important areas of work covered include best practice, dissemination of research and training.

Details of the health and welfare strategy, the England implementation plan and a regulatory impact assessment can be found on the DEFRA website.

Updated: 12:32 Wednesday, June 30, 2004