Action needed on vaccine supplies

There should be “strategic, Government-level action” to help secure a reliable source of livestock vaccines, the CEO of the National Sheep Association (NSA) has suggested.

In a statement, Phil Stocker said supplies of various vaccines have been disrupted over the past three years, which has implications for animal health, welfare and productivity.

“NSA is worried that after all the efforts made to encourage vaccine use, many farmers will have no choice but to stop vaccinating and if they see few immediate problems, getting them to start again will be difficult,” he said.

UK food plan is out of date

A report published less than two years ago on the state of the UK’s food security is already out of date, a committee of MPs has concluded. Members of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee have recommended the UK government should publish an annual report on food security and the Prime Minister should chair a summit on the matter each year.

“Recent shocks to food supply chain, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, have served as a reminder of the fragility of the food supply chain and the importance of food security,” reads a new report by the committee.

Wettest July on record in NI

Last month was the wettest July on record in NI, figures from the Met Office confirm.

Provisional statistics show that 185.4mm fell in NI during July 2023, which is more than double the average rainfall for the month.

The Met Office’s dataset dates back to 1836 and the previous July rainfall record occurred in 1936 when 185.2mm fell.

Figures show that July has been slightly cooler than usual. The average temperature for the month was 14.9°C, which is 0.3°C cooler than the long-term average.