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Steve Merchant, chair of the NZVA's Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy Group.
Scientific innovations and reduced-antibiotic livestock systems could increase the value of the country's exports — with the right approach.
The report, commissioned by the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA), says there are potential gains from addressing antibiotic resistance, and shows how this work would support three of the Government's six Business Growth Agenda (BGA) goals:
Export markets for higher-valued products
Innovation in agriculture and related sciences
Natural resources used in smart ways to support economic growth.
The NZVA recently announced 2030 as an aspirational target date for New Zealand to no longer need antibiotics for the maintenance of animal health and wellness. The NZVA asked PwC to assess the challenges and opportunities of achieving this goal.
Steve Merchant, chair of the NZVA's Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy Group says that a commitment to innovation in developing alternatives to antibiotics could foster world-leading capability in upstream and downstream industries.
"The most fundamental gain could be in future-proofing the supply chain to overseas markets. Concern about antibiotics and resistance is an emerging consumer issue that could affect market access and overseas regulation."
Merchant says the threats of antibiotic resistance are well recognised and have been publicised in several reports in the last few years, but less has been investigated about the opportunities for a country like New Zealand if it approaches the challenge creatively.
The report points out that New Zealand is in a good position to take up the opportunity of addressing antibiotic resistance, as one of the lowest users of antibiotics in the OECD. Key to this has been regulation, control by veterinarians of antibiotic prescriptions and dispensing, and the use of extensive agricultural systems.
"Antibiotics were a defining 20th century achievement and replacing them will be an important achievement of the 21st," says Merchant.
Equine veterinarians say horse owners need to stay alert and communicate with their vets following an outbreak of the highly contagious bacterial disease Strangles in the North Island.
Vets say they support the responsible use of virtual fencing and virtual herding technology for cattle and wants to work with farmers, manufacturers and government to help shape standards for future use backed by ongoing research to strengthen animal welfare outcomes.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
Around 97% of New Zealand pet owners value the care provided by their vet teams, but the broader contribution of animal health professionals to society often goes unseen, a new study has revealed.
Taranaki veterinarian Dr Rob Mills is the new president of New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA).
The managing director of a company seeking to build a solar farm in Canterbury says receiving fast-track approval is a “really positive outcome”.
Retiring MP and dairy farmer Mark Cameron is blasting the Green Party for proposing to ban the use of synthetic fertiliser and cutting cow numbers.
A huge reduction in ACC claims from on-farm accidents over the last five years is due to thousands of small, practical decisions being made in sheds, yards, paddocks and around kitchen tables across the country, says Safer Farms ambassador Lindy Nelson.
Wayne and Ange Moxham of Horowhenua have just been named as Fonterra's top organic performer for milksolids. As well as providing organic milk to Fonterra, the couple also sell Udderly Organic milk to more than 100 outlets in the region and are embarking on another exciting venture producing organic gelato. Reporter Peter Burke went along to see their farming operation.
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