A new campaign is encouraging farmers to use a livestock health plan amid a new report by Defra which shows the use of such plans has decreased.
Earlier this month, Defra announced that the number of livestock producers with a farm health plan had decreased to 73% in 2019, compared with 75% in 2018.
Disease? Not On My Farm! – a campaign that promotes the importance of proactive, preventative healthcare on farm – has expressed concern about the decrease.
The campaign helps farmers understand the cost of disease and see the tangible value of a preventative approach to disease control.
It challenges perceptions of how disease is spread and aims to make preventative disease control the norm by defining the value of disease-free farms.
Alexandra Ashworth, veterinary spokesperson for the campaign, said the benefits of a proactive and ongoing herd health plan 'cannot be underestimated'.
“What’s more, of those who have a plan, it has been found that only 55% use it regularly to inform animal health decisions on farm, suggesting it is just a ‘tick box’ exercise for some farms.
“With changing consumer expectations and the ever-present challenges from the cost of treating disease, it has never been more important for farmers to understand the value of managing disease and a well-thought out farm health plan is a good place to start,” she said.
Encouragingly, the report also showed that the number of farm health plans completed with the help of a vet or adviser increased from 79% in 2018 to 84% in 2019.
Ms Ashworth welcomed this news: “The vet farmer relationship is crucial to preventive animal health planning and maintaining a successful farm business.
“The campaign champions this relationship and hopefully these figures indicate that more farmers are beginning to value it too.
