Quad bike diversification is hit by authority noise fears
Green lobby critical of antibiotics guidelines
PRACTICAL guidelines promoting the safe and responsible use of antibiotics on farms have been published this week amid criticism from environmentalists.
The guidelines for pig and poultry users were launched in London by the Responsible Use of Medicine in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) – a group of retailer, farming, veterinary and pharmaceutical organisations.
RUMAs move comes after the EUs Scientific Steering Committee call for farmers to reduce the number of antibiotic drugs and growth promoters used. The EU committee is concerned that the overuse of antibiotics on farms could reduce the effectiveness of related drugs used to treat diseases in humans.
At the launch, RUMA announced that its ultimate aim was to end routine antibiotic use without adversely affecting animal welfare or business viability.
In its guidelines, detailing practical measures to reduce antibiotic use, the alliance said that opinion was divided on the degree to which resistance associated with veterinary antibiotics affected human health. But it recognised that human health must now be the overriding consideration guiding antibiotic use.
RUMA chairman and NFU health and welfare committee chairman Brian Jennings said: "The use of medicines within livestock production carries with it great responsibilities.
"Antibiotics have made a major contribution to animal health and welfare over several decades and are a precious resource that must be used wisely."
He added: "These guidelines are a major step forward in the wider promotion of existing best practice across the sectors as a whole. We are sure that they will boost the publics confidence in the high standards of all food produced in Britain.
But the initiative has been condemned as a public relations exercise by organic body the Soil Association.
It claimed that British farmers are some of the heaviest users of antibiotics in Europe, accounting for more than 20% of the 1225t of antibiotics used annually for farm animals.
Richard Young, the Soil Associations antibiotics campaign co-ordinator, said the organisation would continue to call for a ban on the growth promoter Avilamycin which he said was related to a product used to treat potentially fatal infections in humans.
But Elanco Animal Health, the company which manufactures Avilamycin, said the drug had been widely tested and it was surprised by the call for a ban. *
Quad bike diversification is hit by authority noise fears
A NORTH Yorks farming familys effort to diversify hangs in the balance as officials from two authorities haggle over the plans.
Tom Harrison, his wife and son, John, farm 109 ha (270 acres) of cereals and grass on the edge of the North York Moors at Pheasant Hill, Ebberston. Another son, Roy, has taken off-farm employment.
In a bid to boost income, the family has dropped out of suckler beef production in favour of fattening up to 180 cattle a year off grass.
On the diversification front, the Harrisons looked at pony trekking, but they found other establishments in the area were struggling.
Instead, with Dalby Forest running right up to the back door of the farmhouse and steading, they hit on the idea of substituting horses with quad bikes and organising forest treks.
Forest Enterprises backed the idea and approved daytime treks. European Objective 5b funding has also been promised and assistance with advertising has been offered by the tourist board.
But the venture is being held up by planners.
A reception building needs the approval of Ryedale District Council, while the trek itself needs the approval of North York Moors National Park planners. Initial recommendation was for refusal, on the grounds that the proposal was incompatible with the National Park and its purposes and would affect the enjoyment of those seeking quiet recreation in the area.
But Mr Harrison emphasises that his intention is to create a quad trek – not a race track. Each quad trek will be accompanied by a family team leader and will be of one or two hours duration, over a distance of up to six miles.
He hopes to convince planners at a site meeting to see the forest tracks which will be used, that fears of noise disturbance is overstated.
A final decision by the planners is expected in mid-July.
"We have done everything we can to make it an enjoyable trek round. We are satisfied it will be quiet, and everything the countryside should be. It will not disrupt the public, horses or ramblers," said Mr Harrison. "It is a trek – not a track." *