6. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to reduce the use of antibiotics in agriculture? OAQ53093

Thank you. Control of antimicrobial resistance is a priority of the Wales animal health and welfare framework. Across the UK, antibiotic usage in farmed animals has fallen from 62 mg/kg in 2013 to 37 mg/kg in 2017. This has been achieved by adopting preventive medicine and keeping animals in conditions that promote their health.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. And, of course, reducing the use of antibiotics for both people and animals is crucial if we are to defend ourselves against the threat of antibiotic resistance. The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance has recently raised concerns about the sufficiency of the data that's available, particularly for beef, sheep and dairy farmers. Given the very significant threat that antibiotic resistance poses to public health, what more can Welsh Government do to ensure that we have all the data that we need to drive improvements in this area? 

Thank you, Lynne Neagle, for that question. In Welsh Government, we do take a one-health approach to address human, animal and environmental aspects of the AMR threat together. We do currently only have high-level UK data on antibiotic sales and developing sector-specific antibiotic usage data for Wales is absolutely a priority for the next AMR five-year plan, and I know we have two veterinary delivery partners working here in Wales with our farms to lead the way in setting up a group to co-ordinate the work that they do on AMR control. I know, for the first time, they've produced information on the prescribing of antibiotics for farm animals in Wales, and they're using that now for benchmarking and sharing of best practice. 

Cabinet Secretary, as you've just stated, antibiotic use does need to decline, without a shadow of a doubt, but it also has an effective role, obviously, in looking after animal health and well-being. There is a balance to be struck. What exercises have Farming Connect in particular undertaken to promote awareness around antibiotic use in the agricultural community? And if there hasn't been an organised campaign through the Farming Connect network, would you consider instigating such a campaign, because I find very often once people realise the impact and what measures they can take, they are more than willing to engage in that process, because there's a benefit all-round for everyone?  

Yes, I absolutely agree with you on that last point, and that's certainly my experience. Farming Connect have been prioritising the responsible use of antibiotics in animals and, crucially, how to avoid the use of them. So, there has been—I'm not sure if it's a specific campaign, I think it's just part of their everyday business. But what they've been doing is working with people so that they can prevent the need for antibiotics further down the line by preventing disease in the first place. I think everybody recognises the impacts of leaving AMR unchecked would be wide-ranging. They'd be extremely costly, not just in financial terms, but also in terms of our global health and environmental well-being, for instance.