Press Release from NSA – Tuesday 27th April 2010

Time is Right for Regulatory Review says NSA 

National Sheep Association (NSA) believes that all political  parties should, in the lead up to the General Election, be publicly recognising the need for a deep rooted review of how the agricultural industry and in particular the sheep sector is regulated.  

Because much of the regulation that governs the sheep sector is EU driven, NSA strongly believes that the UK should now be having a much stronger voice at the point at which potential regulation is in its infancy within the corridors of Brussels. If the UK government influenced earlier and worked closer with industry organisations in that process, NSA believes there is a much greater chance of being able to change the nature and negative effects of regulation once it is finally agreed. 

Not only that, but there is a strong feeling within the association that the way in which regulation is implemented within all parts of the UK often lacks consistency as well as imagination and pragmatism. 

NSA Chief Executive Peter Morris said ‘The sheep sector is horribly burdened by disproportionate regulation in many areas which has a serious impact on the ability of the UK sheep industry to be competitive. The examples are easy to find – EID and the need to record the individual identities of sheep as they move, the inability to dispose of fallen stock on farm, the requirement to split carcases over 12 months of age, various continual tightening of regulation in relation to the use of medicines – the list goes on and on. What is so soul destroying for the sheep farmer is that these regulations all bring with them endless extra paperwork and they are applied in a way that takes a one size fits all approach as opposed to adopting the more refined principles of risk management and thinking about the desired outcome as opposed to becoming obsessed by the process.’ 

Mr Morris continued ‘Following the outcome of the election NSA will be seeking to meet with Ministers in all parts of UK to try and persuade them of the need to adopt a different approach towards the regulatory process. This must not only apply to future regulation but must also encompass existing regulation which should be changed or dropped where it is no longer needed or is disproportionate to the risk involved.  

All political parties know they will be working under very tight financial constraints in the coming years. This means that regulatory and enforcement resources will be very tight. If the industry is to be best served by regulation as opposed to burdened by it then there is a real need for government to look again at how it deploys its resources and how it views risk management in that regulatory process.

 NSA calls on Politicians to give Confidence to Sheep Farmers

 In the lead up to May 6th the National Sheep Association is calling upon politicians from all parties to demonstrate to the sheep farming community that they are valued for the tremendous work that they do in producing top quality products and as environmental managers that have played a huge part in carving out the wonderful UK countryside. 

The sheep industry is currently benefitting from good prices for lambs and cull ewes. These prices are being driven by favourable exchange rates but more importantly by a shortage of product as more and more sheep farmers leave the industry in UK and other major sheep farming countries around the world. NSA believes this continued shrinkage of the flock, even with better prices, is in large part due to a lack of long term confidence in the marketplace but more importantly a chronic lack of faith in government to support the work the industry does. 

NSA continues to hear from numerous sheep farmers both young and old about their feelings of frustration because they are being being painted in an unfairly negative fashion in the environmental debates that gain more prominence every day. This frustration that is felt is compounded by lobbying by high profile campaigners who have more recently latched onto environmental concerns, a large part of this lobbying is not supported by good science but nevertheless appears to have the support of many parts of government. 

NSA Chairman Jonathan Barber said: 'It would be welcome in this election campaign to hear candidates from all parties starting to make positive statements about the sheep industry in the UK and giving public recognition of the positive work that the industry has done and continues to do. Sheep as a species play a part in feeding the nation, creating environmental benefit and are a positive element in holding rural communities together, it is about time that this was recognised by the politicians who sheep farmers vote for alongside everyone else in society. 

Sheep farmers can see green shoots of recovery starting to gather momentum but at the same time they feel undervalued and burdened and they will continue to give up their flocks leading to UK sheep meat supplies continuing to reduce. It is not too late for these feelings to be changed but sheep farmers need to hear strong positive messages from their politicians that say government and society appreciate what you are doing and wish to help you move your industry forward for the benefit of the environment and the nutritional requirements of the nation. Give the sheep industry the signals it needs and the sheep industry will respond.’

SCOPS Group welcomes new anthelmintic for sheep, but warns the sheep industry to use it carefully. 

The introduction of a new broad spectrum anthelmintic group (4-AD monepantel*) on to the UK market is an important addition in the fight to maintain good worm control in UK sheep flocks, says the SCOPS group. But, they warn, it does not take the pressure off the need to reduce our reliance on anthelmintics and it must be used carefully. 

 “Resistance has become an ever increasing threat since the last new anthelmintic group was introduced to the UK market more than 25 years ago” says Peter Baber, NSA and Chair of SCOPS. ”Monepantel offers farmers a valuable opportunity to maintain good worm control and prolong the effective life of the existing products. Following the SCOPS guidelines to carefully integrate monepantel into worm control strategies, before the other groups fail, will allow our sheep industry to reap the full benefits of this new novel group for longer” he adds. 

With respect to the application of monepantel, Lesley Stubbings, independent consultant says “Controlling worms on farms with triple resistance is a clear application. However, by far the largest benefit will come from the integration of monepantel into the chemical control strategy on a farm at an early stage, before resistance levels are so high that other groups are no longer effective. Done carefully this allows us to reduce the selection pressure for resistance to the existing groups, keeping them effective for longer. “In the UK we are in a better position than many other parts of the world, because it’s not too late for us to sustain the effectiveness of other groups” says Ms Stubbings. “But we must act now” she stresses. “With our [UK] ever increasing reliance on the macro-cyclic lactones (3-ML group) as endectocides for scab control, the pressure is really on if we are to maintain their effectiveness as a means of worm control” she adds.  

“SCOPS believes that monepantel can have a major impact on worm control in the UK, but this depends heavily on Vets and advisers encouraging farmers to use it carefully, before double or triple resistance becomes more common,” says Peter Baber. “The industry has a major responsibility to exercise great care to protect the new group from over-use and mis-use to maintain its effectiveness. The application of SCOPS principles is more important than ever” he adds. 

* Zolvix® Novartis Animal Health      

  How does SCOPS recommend monepantel is used on farms?  

SCOPS has discussed at length how any new group should be used because the group believes it is vital that the industry is given guidance at the earliest opportunity. The guidance will be refined over time by monitoring the impact on farms, but initially two facets are clear.  

 1.     Quarantine Treatment  

Treatment of all in-coming sheep to prevent them importing resistant worms on to the farm has always been a cornerstone of SCOPS advice. The principle is that if sheep are treated with the two different groups with the least frequency of resistance in the worm population, the risk of any worms surviving is minimal. The advice now is that these two should be monepantel and moxidectin (the latter also covering for sheep scab if used in injectable form). The two to be given sequentially (see note below) , treated sheep held off pasture (yarded) for 24-48 hours and then turned out on to dirty (worm infested) pasture. 

 2.     Integrated annually into the control programme 

Evidence suggests that used once a year in lambs, in the mid/late season, when worm counts are high is the best time to gain benefit in terms of reducing selection for resistance to the other groups. This is because it [the new group] will kill worms resistant to the other groups, reducing the selection effect from the earlier part of the season. It may also help with lamb performance if this is being affected by the fact that less than 95% of worms are being killed where resistance is building, so performance is pegged back.  

SCOPS encourages sheep farmers to talk to their Vet and/or adviser about how they might integrate monepantel into their worm control. “The more information the Vet has about the farm, such as resistance status to other groups, the more effectively the product can be used” said Neil Sargison, leading Sheep Vet and SCOPS group member. “This is a great opportunity for Vets and farmers to work more closely and improve worm control while extending the useful life of the anthelmintics we have available” he added. 

 Moving away from annual rotation of groups 

SCOPS acknowledges that this advice means we are moving further and further away from the simple recommendation to change your wormer group annually” says Lesley Stubbings. “What is important is that farmers know which group they are using and why. They must be prepared to use two or more groups in a season if it means they get the best worm control and performance, as well as the long term benefit of effective chemical control because they have minimised the risk that resistance will catch up with them. SCOPS will strive to give practical advice to sheep farmers to help then with their choices” she said.    

NOTES FOR EDITORS: ·       

SCOPS is an industry led initiative to slow the development of anthelmintic resistance (AR). It is Chaired by Peter Baber (NSA) and has published a comprehensive Technical Manual (V 3 March 09). ·

Membership includes: NSA; AHDA; AMTRA; NOAH; VMD; NFU; SNFU; Welsh Assembly; SERAD; Defra; VLA; RUMA; SAC and independent advisers.

Sequential use of products means they are administered one after the other at the same handling. They should never be mixed prior to administration.  ·    

SCOPS is updating the leaflet it produces annually covering all sheep anthelmintic products available to include all changes and the new 4-AD group to which monepantel belongs. This is part of the SCOPS commitment to revision of clear information for farmers and advisers on the effective use of anthelmintics. A PDF copy will be available from 1st April 2010 · 

More information can be obtained from;

Lesley Stubbings (01832-727230   07973-871923)

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