Concern over animal medicine laws

Portlaoise: Any unnecessary tightening of regulations on the distribution of animal medicines will stifle competition in the sector.

It could also lead to increased production costs for a range of consumer food products.

These points were made at the annual conference of the Animal and Plant Health Association (APHA) in Portlaoise yesterday.

Brendan Barnes, director of APHA, said it welcomes tighter controls, which should ensure Irish food remains ‘residue free’.

“However, we are concerned that new legislation may result in a decline in the use of medicines designed to prevent disease. This would not be in the interests of consumers, processors or farmers.”

Mr Barnes said the Department of Agriculture is currently deciding how animal medicines will be distributed in the future.

“A sufficient range of professionals must be allowed to write prescriptions for certain routine medicines. Otherwise, costs will increase and animal welfare will be threatened,” he said.

According to APHA, there is now cross-industry support for legislation, which would allow appropriately trained professionals to prescribe certain products.

Ahead of yesterday’s conference the APHA made a submission to the Department of Agriculture outlining its concerns surrounding draft proposals to the animal remedies regulations.

“The consumer wants higher quality foods with greater convenience and with greater nutritional values at an affordable cost. Anything that jeopardises this position, such as increased costs at farm level or a growth in the distribution of black market products, endangers Ireland’s reputation as a food producing nation,” the group warned.