BVA Annual Scottish Dinner - BVA President David Catlow's Speech
Scottish Parliament, 14 June 2007
Minister, Honoured Guests, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the annual BVA Scottish Dinner. A particular warm welcome to the new Minister, Richard Lochhead, who has found time in his busy schedule to address the veterinary profession and of course the industry we serve.
It was with some admiration and relief that I read your manifesto that clearly places considerable emphasis on the importance of agriculture with the rural community at its heart.
One year on and we have seen further significant changes taking place in the veterinary world and the industry we serve. There is cautious optimism about the future of farming and we have noted with interest the rebranding exercise of the State Veterinary Service – will there now be confusion with other animal health companies? There is certainly more than a hint that the veterinarian will play less of a role than before.
We have all watched the recent developments at the G8 Summit with great interest. A monumental progression appears to have been made in commitment to environmental concerns and climate change on a global scale. We know that UK government is currently focussed on these issues and we know about the seismic shift in EU CAP reform to Pillar 2 funding. It is a challenge for all of us and one that I have no doubt that Scotland will face full on with engagement and discussion industry-wide to make best use of the opportunities that present themselves. You have already illustrated a willingness from all interested parties in Scotland to work together and to make decisions and identify the drivers that engage the industry to modernise and remain competitive in the world market; the development of your land management contracts is a good illustration of this point. You will no doubt be prepared to refocus when it is appropriate remaining flexible as we learn of new drivers and influencers - SEERAD seems prepared to help lead the Scottish Agricultural Industry through the minefields of change we all face.
In England we envy your relationship and would appreciate a deeper and closer understanding and appreciation of the contribution we are able to make than is currently the case. There seems a reluctance from all parties to fully engage in the challenges we face. Some have observed that government in Westminster is so risk-averse, or at least concerned that they satisfy popular opinion on every occasion that they actively evade making sometimes difficult decisions. Consequently Devolved Governments are heading in different directions and I suggest much closer cooperation between devolved regions, fulfilling the original vision for a UK-wide AH&W Strategy where we can all learn from the progress of others – let devolution be a force for progression in livestock production.
Cost-sharing will be a huge step taken by the industry when it is finally achieved, but cost-sharing without responsibility-sharing is a complete non-starter and any premature decisions that are not made in true partnership would be ill-advised.
Partnership is a word that has been banded about somewhat loosely by various parties for a number of years now. The correspondence columns in the Veterinary Record have been filled in recent weeks by letters from justifiably angry veterinary surgeons who, despite having already made resource commitments and made arrangements to carry out the statutory Brucellosis Testing in April were notified at extremely short-notice that all payments would be stopped forthwith. BVA was informed at a meeting prior to the announcement and I immediately wrote to the CVO in England outlining the consequences to practice and the further impact that this would have on rural veterinary services. I received verbal assurance that it would be reasonable for practices to carry out and be paid for the testing that had already been instructed and arranged. Unfortunately this did not prove to be the case. It is hardly surprising that the veterinary profession, despite fully engaging at every opportunity, feels a certain frustration at the lack of regard by Page Street for its input and efforts to contribute to the animal health and welfare strategy.
In Scotland, you will be pleased to hear Minister, your Animal Health & Welfare Strategy Advisory Group once again appears to be leading the way. They have identified already a number of pragmatic and realistic ways for rural veterinary practices to deliver and remain viable in the longer term. We hope that in England a revitalised Vets & Vet Services Team under a new independent chair, soon to be announced by Defra can emulate the standards your teams are setting.
I return to Pillar 2 funding and the opportunities that presents. We are informed that greenhouse gas emissions are considerable from livestock production. I invite the government to engage with the industry to see what reductions can be made to those emissions – it is in the public interest, indeed the world interest to explore these areas. What reductions can be made by improvements of efficiency in production? Gaining more from less – one calf per cow per year, or one calf per cow every 18 months? – it strikes me that we have a very obvious working hypothesis to investigate. Our research capability in endemic and exotic livestock disease is first rate and provides a great opportunity to identify the standards of achievable efficiencies in production that will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of our industry. Never has it been more ‘in the public interest’ and timely reason to justify investment in veterinary research than now.
What are the carbon-costs of poor health and inefficiency in livestock production. We know the financial costs of FMD, what carbon-costs to that outbreak? What are the costs of endemic disease - barren cattle and sheep – all eructation and flatulence! and non-productive with it!
Active engagement of the veterinary profession on farm in Health Planning can address many of the areas of disease risk and contribute to significant improvements in efficiency.
The veterinary profession can make a huge contribution to reducing those carbon foot-prints.
Is it in the public interest to incentivise farmers with ‘performance related pay’- for meeting those energy-efficient targets and reduce the emissions that concern us all? – all those who benefit must contribute to the cost!
So many opportunities and reasons to engage with the veterinary and agriculture sectors immediately, not replace the veterinary sector with others less able to add value to the industry. Much of Westminster policy is aimed at what can we do cheaper – not what can we do better. And it fails to recognise the opportunities that more progressive engagement with the profession can bring.
The politicians must not dare to export our livestock industry in a game of international carbon-trading to other less well developed nations – exporting the challenges and responsibilities to other nations; that would be an irresponsible move on the world stage when we have such an opportunity and infrastructure to lead the world in innovation and expertise.
A strong agricultural sector and government veterinary team gives us the competency to be recognised and negotiate at international level; it provides a team to establish knowledge transfer from research to industry. It provides a driver for research in animal and human health – a global leader in industry.
Without strong agricultural representation our industry declines; less able to influence in Europe and understand the direction and at increased risk of external influence.
I have huge concerns that administrators in England are increasingly directing an industry of which they know little – I have major concerns that there is a declining veterinary influence in defining animal health policy where fundamental veterinary knowledge and professional judgement are required to establish practical and meaningful strategy, policy and delivery. More cuts will equal much higher risks.
Minister, thank you so much for attending. We look forward to working very positively with you at every opportunity. You will find us a responsive and innovative profession that wishes to remain very much engaged in setting the standards of animal and human health.
Members of BVA if you will be upstanding, I would like to propose a toast…
to the guests.
Read the Scottish Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead's Speech
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