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Catherina Cunnane
Catherina Cunnanehttps://www.thatsfarming.com/
Catherina Cunnane hails from a sixth-generation drystock and specialised pedigree suckler enterprise in Co. Mayo. She currently holds the positions of editor and general manager at That's Farming, having joined the firm during its start-up phase in 2015.
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APR threatens sustainability of Ireland’s grass-based model – McConalogue

“The worrying development of APR (antiparasitic resistance) threatens the sustainability of Ireland’s grass-based production model.”

That is what the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, told attendees as he performed the official opening of Veterinary Ireland’s AGM & conference at Mullingar Park Hotel, Co. Westmeath on November 25th, 2022.

He said APR has potentially “devastating” impacts on animal health and welfare and can result in production losses in food-producing species, presenting a challenge for food security.

APR 

The minister told attendees: “This year, my department introduced a TASAH programme to specifically focus on parasite control on farms.”

“This programme reinforced the value of veterinary expertise in successfully controlling parasites at farm level,” said McConalogue.

“Anthelmintic resistance is a complex problem, and as management practices and risk factors vary markedly between farms, there is huge value in tailored veterinary advice.”

The minister outlined that Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) continues to remain in the top five global public health threats.

Ireland has supported and implemented a One Health Action plan, iNAP, to address this global challenge.

“Prevention is better than cure – but behavioural change in relation to how we use antimicrobials requires leadership,” said the minister.

“I am confident that veterinarians will play a key role in addressing these challenges and can encourage clients to develop meaningful herd health plans, strategically focused on optimising animal health and reducing the use of antimicrobials, to ensure a sustainable long-term future for animal-based production systems.”

‘The silent pandemic’

Martin Blake, MVB MRCVS MBA, Chief Veterinary Officer, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, capitalised on this information as he told crowds that Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is “the silent pandemic”.

He said while there are no daily press conferences outlining the number of cases and deaths, a recent publication from the Lancet on the global burden of AMR reports that in 2019, AMR-associated deaths globally were estimated to have been 4.95 million.

Read more on this news article.

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