This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Priorities and targets for agriculture
21/11/2005
Collaboration between Scotland's science base, its farming industry and government is helping deliver solutions to animal health and welfare issues, a conference was told today.
At the second Scottish Animal Health and Welfare Conference, Minister for Environment and Rural Development Ross Finnie said:
"We have made considerable progress, since the publication of the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy and last year's conference. We have identified major animal health and welfare issues of concern to the industry and have set out a programme of targets to address these.
"We will develop a range of measures to deal with the diseases and welfare conditions identified. This will involve best practice, education and knowledge transfer, as well as specific research projects. This will be good news for Scottish farmers as disease costs money.
"The announcement today of almost half a million pounds of funding for scientific research into the sheep disease Jaagsiekte is just one example which illustrates our commitment to driving up the standards of animal health and welfare in Scotland. Good health and welfare is essential to a successful industry and maintaining and growing our rural economy."
The conference discussed events over the last year, including the introduction of pre and post-movement TB testing to help further protect Scotland's cattle herd, and the introduction of the Animal Health and Welfare Bill.
Scotland has also developed government led animal health and welfare management programmes, where uptake in this first year is almost 4,000 businesses.
The aim of the Conference is to consider the priorities and targets set by the Advisory Group
In addition to the research announced today, at the start of this year SEERAD commissioned a large and complex research project with Moredun, SAC and BioSS into Jaagsiekte, also known as Ovine Pulmonary Adenomatosis (OPA). The title of the project is 'Control of Ovine Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma (Jaagsiekte) in the Scottish sheep flock'. The project will last for three years, at a cost of £425,468. Jaagsiekte will be part of the new SEERAD Science and Research Group Programme from April 2006.