The future of animal research came under the microscope this week at the world-renowned Moredun Research Institute where two significant strands to future work were highlighted.
Nigel Millar may be better known as the president of NFU Scotland, battling to achieve a good Common Agricultural Policy outcome for Scottish agriculture but, speaking in front of over 100delegates from the agricultural, veterinary and research sectors at the Moredun, he used his professional qualification as a vet to stress the importance of healthy livestock as part of a wider campaign dealing with climate change.
Cattle and sheep carrying any parasitic or disease burden were, he pointed out, far less efficient converters of food, thus added to climate change problems.
Using the explosion in liver fluke problems in the wet 2012 autumn as an example, he added that the industry was now dealing with different disease patterns.
As such it needed the combined efforts of a number of agencies in finding answers to problems that arose.
His contribution chimed in with the project headed by Beth Wells, of the Moredun, where a whole catchment area of the Cairngorms National Park is being used to identify links between the cryptosporidium bugs, which cause gastro-intestinal illnesses in humans and livestock.
Also speaking at the same event, deputy chief vet in Scotland, Colin Macaldowie, highlighted the threat of diseases being spread across countries.
He is worried about the appearance of African swine fever, which has now been confirmed in a number of Eastern European countries.
Defending this country against this disease involves international cooperation and this often competes with the commercial imperative of trade.
“Every action has to be proportionate” he said but confirmed import points were being made aware of the potential dangers.