Federated Farmers: New strategy will affect livestock

The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) have released their new strategy on antibiotics.

The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) has just released its long-term antibiotic strategy.

It includes an overarching aspirational goal for New Zealand to reduce the need for antibiotics by developing alternative therapies to manage the health and wellness (and so reduce diseases) in animals, by 2030.

This, in the context of no new antibiotics being discovered for the past 30 years, concerns internally about resistance in humans and animals, and increasing calls for a New Zealand strategy.

NZVA, who briefed us on the strategy, stressed this is a long-term goal aimed at ensuring the current range of antibiotics is retained for as long as possible, while additional treatments and approaches to animal wellness and disease are identified.

What does it mean for farmers? Firstly, NZVA has assured us that farmers will be fully supported through any changes and stressed in the short term it will be business as usual.

Federated Farmers is aware that the devil will be in the detail and we are unsure what 'alternative' therapy looks like.

Does it mean I should buy up that garlic farm and vinegar distillery, and stockpile copper sulphate as the country moves to more organic treatment systems?

Realistically, though, NZVA has indicated solutions are best worked out collaboratively. I expect the industry-good bodies such as DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb will be fully engaged, looking at solutions on farm and holding workshops to support farmers with wellness strategies which will prevent common infections such as mastitis and lameness.

Of course, as the industry develops alternative approaches and therapies there may be a few vet bills as vets test for infection and choose the right antibiotic when this is needed.

Drafting those cows with significant health problems out of the herd may work okay during this low payout year. Fewer mouths to feed will mean more pasture to go around and lower imported feed costs.

It may also take prime stock too, which would otherwise have been treated and kept, but it will mean that the fittest will remain on farm.

The drive for this is increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics worldwide.

This has important consequences for human health, where even simple infections are being caused by bacteria which are becoming resistant to an increasing range of antibiotics.

Diseases are not confined to certain species of humans or animals; they are often transferred across species' boundaries.

Antibacterial resistance is not confined to the one type of bacteria or the one type of antibiotic, either.

Because of this, governments across the world are advocating for judicious use of antibiotics in both the human and animal populations to keep effective antibiotics available for cases where only the best will work.

New Zealand is already well positioned, with the world's third-lowest usage of antibiotics on animals.