Leaders from the veterinary profession have made it clear to UK and EU negotiators that the issue of vet medicine supply from Britain to NI should be top of the agenda at the latest round of talks.

With a grace period on vet medicines running out at the end of 2022, estimates suggest that around half of current products used across NI farm animals, equine and pets are at risk.

Under the current terms of the NI protocol, all vet products used in the EU, including NI, must be licensed in the EU.

Potential crisis

Speaking at the NI dinner hosted by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) in Belfast last Wednesday evening, president Malcolm Morley warned of a potential animal welfare crisis if the issue is not resolved soon.

“This affects all sectors—farm, equine and pets.

“It is also not just an animal health issue but a public health issue, particularly if salmonella vaccines become unavailable to poultry vets,” suggested Morley.

He said that a “clear way forward” does exist, based on the solution found at the end of 2021 for human medicines. At the time, the EU proposed that additional testing or labelling would not be required, but on the understanding that the UK would comply “substantively” with EU law around human medicines.

Shortage

During his address, Morley also raised the ongoing issue of a shortage of vets across the UK. He described the profession as being at “breaking point”, not helped by a rise of pet ownership during COVID lockdowns, which has been overtaken by a cost of living crisis.

With people delaying potential treatments, it is leading to animal welfare issues among pets, suggested Morley.

Supply

In his speech, Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots said that NI requires an assured long term supply of local vets, with work on-going on plans for a new NI vet school. He also took aim at the NI Protocol, suggesting that vets should be ensuring food exports meet necessary standards, or doing caesareans on farms, not “checking a Sainsbury’s sausage roll paperwork is correct”.

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