Vaccine for worms

It’s a terrifying thought that all our conventional wormers are likely to disappear in the long run. Parasites have a big impact on productivity, with excessive burdens often killing animals. So it is great to see progress being made in developing vaccines to increase the immune response from affected animals. We are again at the forefront of leading science to benefit food production in Scotland and beyond. You can find out more in our interview with Jacqui Matthews on pages 10-11 this week.

We have been running a number of cutting-edge scientific articles to highlight to readers the amount of work being done on our doorstep. A significant number of people are dedicating their lives to the betterment of the industry, wearing a lab coat instead of a boiler suit.

Introducing William Conlon

We are delighted to welcome our new writer, William, to the team. William is over from the Dublin office for six months and hails from a small suckler farm in the west of Ireland. After studying agriculture in Dublin, he went on to write for the Journal. He specialises in farm buildings and will be getting round a number of Scottish sheds. I am yet to meet a farmer who doesn’t have some tips and wishes on what they should have done differently with their new shed. So our guides will help to offer some suggestions before the concrete is set. So if you spot William at the mart or a show, be sure to say hello.