| 2016-11-21 |    |
Website Launched to Review Antibiotic Use on Farms
A new website launched by RUMA to coincide with World Antibiotic Awareness Week explains the facts about antibiotic resistance as well as consolidating scientific data and the details of the steps being taken to tackle the challenge of resistant bacteria in livestock into one place.
RUMA, the agricultural and food industry alliance promotes responsible use of medicines in farm animals, says the website provides impartial, factual information for commentators, media and industry to readily access.
RUMA
Secretary General John FitzGerald says:
“Handy downloadable
infographics and the latest news will help inform the debate around
this important topic as there is a tendency to attribute the growth
in resistant bacteria mainly to the farming industry, which is not
borne out by the facts.
“The industry, vets and farmers have a major part to play and a shared responsibility in looking at ways to reduce antibiotic use and refine practices but it’s important to recognise the transfer of resistant bacteria from animal to human currently remains very low. We must work to keep it that way.”
Mr FitzGerald says the site also reports the progress made by RUMA members in looking at ways to reduce antibiotic use and refine practices without jeopardising the high health and welfare standards of our livestock.
“This delivers on the UK 5-year AMR Strategy which was launched on 10 September 2013. RUMA was among the groups that welcomed and supported the strategy, and has now published its second progress update of the work that has been done across the UK livestock sector in the 28 months since the plan was first published.”
RUMA is an agricultural and food industry alliance which promotes responsible use of medicines in farm animals.
Its members are:
- The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC)
- AHDB Beef and Lamb, and AHDB Pork
- AHDB Dairy
- The Animal Health Distributors Association (AHDA UK Ltd)
- Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA)
- British Egg Industry Council (BEIC)
- The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA)
- The British Poultry Council (BPC)
- The British Retail Consortium (BRC)
- British Veterinary Association (BVA)
- City and Guilds Land Based Services
- Dairy UK
- The Game Farmers’ Association (GFA)
- LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)
- The National Beef Association (NBA)
- National Farmers’ Union (NFU)
- The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH)
- The National Pig Association (NPA)
- National Sheep Association (NSA)
- NFU Scotland
- Red Tractor Assurance (RTA)
- The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF)
- Royal Pharmaceutical Society
- The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)
- The Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO)
