Macra na Feirme is reiterating calls for the inclusion of faecal sampling and milk recording as potential measures that farmers can select under new eco-scheme proposals due to come into effect in 2023 under the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The call comes as World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is underway this week (November 18-24), with the aim of increasing antimicrobial resistance awareness among policymakers.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has hosted a series of webinars over the past week on the benefits of bulk milk tank screening to benefit farmers making on-farm decisions.
Milk recording measures
Macra na Feirme believes that the proposals around faecal sampling and milk recording align with the work ongoing within the department.
“Antimicrobial resistance is beginning to impact on our animal health strategies, and encouraging farmers to get faecal samples analysis regularly, could be a major weapon in tackling the threat of antimicrobial resistance,” president of Macra, John Keane said.
“This measure, and milk recording, also align to one of the EU Commission’s own criteria for approving an eco-scheme measure,” he added.
Under the European Commission’s draft proposal, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered an area of “environmental, climate and animal welfare action” by the commission.
Macra said that it is also a specific objective of the CAP framework, where member states may opt to implement eco-schemes to address antimicrobial challenges.
The benefits to reduced anthelmintic usage and improved decision making are both beneficial to the environment and align with the targets as laid out in the EU Farm to Fork strategy to reduce antibiotic and anthelmintic usage on farms, according to the farm organisation.
“Currently we are seeing antimicrobial resistance as a small issue on Irish farms but one with the potential to grow,” Keane added.
“The inclusion of both these measures as eco-schemes allows Irish farmers to get ahead of the curve and be leaders when it comes to addressing this issue, and forge a pathway that facilitates Irish farmers to meet the ambition under the EU Farm to Fork Strategy,” he concluded.