September 3, 2018

Ireland launches the country's first animal health surveillance website
 

A website focusing on health surveillance of farmed animals was launched in Ireland on Thursday.

Speaking at the launch ceremony of the Animal Health Surveillance Website, Michael Creed, Irish Agriculture Minister, said, "Farmers today need information to manage risk in all aspects of their businesses, including maintaining the health of their animals."

The website, created by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, aims to increase farmers' awareness on animal diseases in order to maximise economic returns from their farmed animals, Creed added.

Additionally, the Minister explained that the website can also be used as a marketing tool by Irish trade delegations when promoting Irish produce abroad.

Essentially, animal health surveillance encompasses systematic collection, collation, analysis and dissemination of animal health data. In a nutshell, it is the gathering of intelligence to quickly identify animal diseases for a more informed risk management at all levels within the animal farming industry.

A country well-known for its high-quality and green meat products, official statistics showed that the country exported a record high of 3.8 billion euros (US$4.4 billion) of meat products in 2017.

The launch of the animal health surveillance website is part of the local government's efforts to maintain the competitiveness of Irish meat products on the international market.
 

Source: Xinhuanet