NSA and Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance

Appropriate use of medicines in sheep flocks is essential, hence NSA’s involvement in the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance. NSA strongly supports RUMA’s stance that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global ‘One Health’ issue that needs addressing in both humans and farm animals. While the alliance looks at the use of all medicines, on-farm use of antibiotics is top of the priority list – for obvious reasons. ‘As little as possible as much as necessary’ is an important mantra for slowing resistance while also ensuring high levels of animal welfare through proactive preventative health planning. Sheep farming is one of the lower users of antibiotics in agriculture, but that does mean every sheep farmer does not have a role to play. That is why NSA is a paid-up member of the RUMA Alliance and has a place on the RUMA Board.

NSA urges all members to engage with the work of RUMA via its two excellent websites. www.ruma.org.uk is a useful resource for farmers, while www.farmantibiotics.org is a public-facing website responding to the often unjustifiable criticism of antibiotic use in agriculture.