Vets must be key to agri-food expansion, BVA says
Robin Hargreaves, BVA president
Speaking at the BVA's annual Northern Ireland dinner, newly elected president of the association, Robin Hargreaves, said vets must be at the heart of plans to expand the local food sector.
Guests at the event included the Chief Veterinary Officer of Northern Ireland, Bert Houston, as well as parliamentarians, representatives of animal health and welfare organisations and the agri-food industry and members of the veterinary profession.
In line with his presidential theme of "trust", Mr Hargreaves spoke of the importance of the relationships between vets and their clients in delivering government programmes to eradicate disease and improve animal welfare.
Mr Hargreaves began by welcoming the Agri-Food Strategy Board's "Going for Growth" report, outlining initiatives to expand the food supply chain in Northern Ireland.
"The importance of the relationship between an animal owner and his/her vet should never be underestimated," he said. "That is why we feel so strongly that vets must be at the heart of current initiatives to significantly expand the local food sector...
“We are pleased to see that the key recommendations of ‘Going for Growth’ include the need to eliminate animal disease, to double the drawdown of European funding for agri-food innovation, and to promote the USP of improved animal health, welfare and biosecurity.”
The BVA, Mr Hargreaves said, has given its firm support to the next phase of a programme to eradicate BVD in Northern Ireland, which includes compulsory testing. The initiative is being developed by Animal Health and Welfare NI, and includes plans to eradicate Johne's disease.
The president added: "The ongoing battle against endemic disease frustrates vets and farmers on a daily basis. We are constantly chasing to keep up and so we must seize this opportunity for the future health and welfare of the national herd to allow us to fully exploit its export potential."
Commenting on bovine TB and recent pilot badger culls, Mr Hargreaves added: "After many years of lobbying we are pleased that there is now widespread recognition that bovine TB cannot be eradicated without a commitment to tackling the disease in wildlife."
However, the recently inaugurated president warned of the negative consequences of losing the network of local veterinary practices, if the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) were to follow the AHVLA in changing the way that Official Veterinarian (OV) work is procured.
He said: "These relationships must never be taken for granted. The role of private vets as trusted sources of advice for farmers in endemic disease control programmes must not be lost in the rush to make cost savings…
“We lose our network of local veterinary practices at our peril. It’s a network that provides vital services to the rural economy and a first line of defence in the face of disease."
Concluding, Mr Hargreaves spoke of the challenges of tackling the issues surrounding the online sale of pets. Having recently launched a set of voluntary minimum standards for websites, the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) has been working with Gumtree and other major sites to remove adverts which do not meet these standards.
Mr Hargreaves called for the political support of DARD to help address this challenge.
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
