Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) animal health chair TJ Maher has called on all players in the antiparasitic medicine supply chain to ensure that farmers continue to have access to doses and that competition remains between suppliers.

The IFA maintains that legislation currently being drafted which will govern the prescribing process for antiparasitic doses must avoid adding costs and reducing competition in the medicine supply chain.

Maher labelled the consistency of the correct antiparasitic advice to farmers as being critical to the drafting of legislation for the suppliers of cattle and sheep doses.

“This message cannot be diluted or tailored based on economic interests of any of the service providers - be they veterinary practitioners or licensed merchants,” he stated.

Treatment costs

Maher said that farmers must consider whether parasite treatment is needed before administering doses and also ensure that the correct product is used for the parasite being targeted.

An example he gave was dosing animals close to slaughter which could see treatment costs pose little benefit relative to increases in animal performance.

Using the correct dosage for each animal and factoring withdrawal periods into animal management strategies are other considerations the animal health chair drew farmers’ attention to.