Disease? Not On My Farm! Campaign Urges More Farmers To Use A Farm Health Plan In The Wake Of Defra Report
MILTON KEYNES, UK, June 19, 2019 – This month, Defra announced that the number of livestock producers with a farm health plan had decreased to 73% in 2019, compared with 75% in 2018.
Alexandra Ashworth, ruminant veterinary advisor for MSD Animal Health and spokesperson for Disease? Not On My Farm! – a campaign that promotes the importance of proactive, preventative healthcare on farm – expressed concern about this apparent decrease.
“The benefits of a proactive and ongoing herd health plan cannot be underestimated, and this report highlights we have more work to do in spreading this message nationwide.
“What’s more, of those who have a plan, it has been found that only 55% use it regularly to inform animal health decisions on farm, suggesting it is just a ‘tick box’ exercise for some farms.
“With changing consumer expectations and the ever-present challenges from the cost of treating disease, it has never been more important for farmers to understand the value of managing disease and a well-thought out farm health plan is a good place to start.”
Encouragingly, the report also showed that the number of farm health plans completed with the help of a vet or adviser increased from 79% in 2018 to 84% in 2019. Ms Ashworth welcomes this news. “The vet farmer relationship is crucial to preventive animal health planning and maintaining a successful farm business. The Disease? Not On My Farm! campaign champions this relationship and hopefully these figures indicate that more farmers are beginning to value it too.
Vet Iain McCormick from Galedin Vets in Berwick-upon-Tweed, who works with Disease? Not On My Farm! ambassador farmer Fiona Skeen comments, “I think the tide is turning and clients are getting the message about reducing antibiotic use and the need for a more preventative approach.”
Fiona, who runs a 175-head commercial beef herd, agrees. “Having a vet who knows us and the farm well is very important and the fact we can contact them at any time by phone is invaluable.”
Data taken from Greenhouse gas mitigation practices – England Farm Practices Survey 2019, published on 6 June 2019
About Disease? Not On My Farm!
The Disease? Not On My Farm! campaign helps farmers understand the true cost of disease and see the tangible value of a preventative approach to disease control. It challenges perceptions of how disease is spread and shares advice and tips from farmers and vets alike. It aims to make preventative disease control the norm by defining the value and opportunity of disease-free farms. Find out more at https://www.msd-animal-health-hub.co.uk/DNOMF
About MSD Animal Health
For more than a century, MSD, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business unit of MSD. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals®, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of digitally connected identification, traceability and monitoring products. MSD Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. MSD Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.msd-animal-health.com/ or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.