Sir,
Your article on the use of antibiotics in farming (Death wish, The Independent, June 17) doesn’t paint the full picture. There are industry guidelines for the responsible use of antimicrobials in pigs, poultry, cattle, sheep and fish, as well as others for the responsible use of vaccines.
The NFU is a partner organisation in the RUMA alliance (Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance) whose aim is to promote the highest standards of food safety, animal health and welfare and the responsible use of medicines in British livestock farming, and as such we take this issue very seriously. We encourage our farming members to be guided by the RUMA guidelines and believe that antibiotics should be used as little as possible but as much as necessary.
To start with the addition of antibiotics to feed to improve the growth rates of farm animals has been banned throughout the EU since January 1 2006. Antibiotics are now only used under the prescription and care of a veterinary surgeon to combat and prevent bacterial infections which may cause animals to become sick, in the same way that humans use antibiotics.
Like people, animals get ill and need medicines. This is true regardless of the type or management system on a farm and there is no evidence that more intensive farming systems use more veterinary medicines, or particularly use more antibiotics. The NFU promotes positive farm health planning, with farmers and vets working together, to ensure the health of the animals on farm. Furthermore, withdrawal periods from the human food chain for meat and animal products following any therapeutic antibiotic use in the animal are in place to protect consumers from inadvertent consumption of these substances.
NFU director of policy Martin Haworth
Agriculture house
Stoneleigh Park
CV8 2TZ
02476 858686
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