Endemic Disease Control and the Environmental Impact of Ruminant Farming

What might better ruminant health be worth to the environment?

A sick animal returns less milk, less liveweight and fewer calves compared to healthy animals, despite continuing to consume time and inputs and to generate greenhouse gas emissions. Better health shortens finishing times, improves fertility and cuts mortality, lowering emissions per unit of produce made by each animal as well as improving farm profitability.

This workshop explores how large that sparing effect might be for Northern Ireland, and what it would take to capture it.

Working with veterinary and other interested stakeholders, the afternoon will set out the core challenges, identify potential solutions, and begin to crystallise these into a roadmap for the Northern Ireland ruminant industry.