increase font size
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.
Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) awards. As part of a series looking at this year’s rural winners, Leo Argent talked with Ginny Dodunski, winner of the Veterinary Impact Award for raising the profile of the Wormwise programme.
Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) awards.
The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) says it will be working alongside the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Animal and Plant Health New Zealand (APHANZ) as they attempt to improve access to veterinary medicines.
Scientists from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) are part of an international team working to develop a low-cost diagnostic tool that could significantly improve food crop production in developing countries.
Scion is running experimental research burns near Christchurch from March 3-14, to test new theories on how wildfires spread under various conditions.
Movement controls have been lifted from Mainland Poultry’s Hillgrove Farm in Otago, after the successful eradication of H7N6 strain of high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
Harvesting is underway of one of New Zealand’s rarest and most unusual fruit - persimmons.
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
