NOAH launches new Animal Medicines Best Practice (AMBP) Programme

NOAH is today launching its new Animal Medicines Best Practice (AMBP) Programme with farmer training to support the responsible use of antibiotics across UK farms. The training programme, launched at the House of Lords, gives farmers and vets access to new resources, enabling a coordinated and consistent approach to farmer training in the responsible use of antibiotics.

The development of the AMBP Programme has been led by NOAH in partnership with a working group of stakeholders from across the industry including farmers, vets, the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA), the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and leading academics, to create a robust and trusted training programme for all those working in the sheep, dairy, beef and pig sectors.

The programme will raise awareness, knowledge and understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and help drive best practice in a consistent manner across UK farms when it comes to using antibiotics.

There is a clear demand from the food supply chain for appropriate training, and the programme provides materials that will satisfy both supply chain and farm assurance requirements, such as the Red Tractor recommendations.

Training modules are available for farmers to access via the NOAH website or directly through an online Lantra eLearning platform. In addition to the direct farmer offering, vets will also be to access resource materials, enabling them to deliver training to their clients. This veterinary resource centre will follow soon.

NOAH Chair, Gaynor Hillier, comments:

“We know that there is a real demand for this type of accessible training and we’re delighted to be able to lead the way in making it available. This new collaborative, cross-sector strategy on training will support both farmers and vets, demonstrating that our farmers have the skills to use antibiotics responsibly, providing reassurance to consumers and policy makers. NOAH is happy to be building on existing antibiotic stewardship achievements within the farming sector as ensuring best practice is vital to safeguard the future efficacy of antibiotics for us all.”

Biosecurity Minister Lord Gardiner said:

“The UK is at the forefront of global efforts to tackle antibiotic resistance. Recent statistics show there has been a 27 per cent drop in use of antibiotics in food-producing animals in the UK since 2014 – meeting a government commitment two years early.

“Our farmers and vets must be commended for driving down antibiotic use in livestock to this all-time low – setting an excellent example for others around the world to follow. But it is vital we continue making progress.

“We welcome this new responsible use of antibiotics farmer training programme, which will support the animal medicines industry to take another positive step towards tackling resistance, safeguarding antibiotics for future generations.”

Gwyn Jones, Chairman at RUMA said:

“The AMBP Programme will provide an excellent resource for farmers and vets alike. Training plays a crucial role in supporting best practice to ensure that antibiotics, as a shared human and animal resource, remain effective and available for all into the future.”

Elizabeth Andoh-Kesson, Food Policy Advisor at the BRC said:

“We welcome the new AMBP Programme and we’re delighted to have played a role in helping shape it. There is a clear demand from the food supply chain for appropriate training, and this initiative has developed valuable consistent, industry-recognised materials to address both supply chain and farm assurance requirements, such as the new Red Tractor recommendation.”

Marcus Potter, CEO at Lantra said:

“As the UK’s leading awarding body for land-based training and qualification, Lantra is delighted to be involved in the development and roll out of this important farming industry initiative in partnership with NOAH. We are committed to working closely with industry stakeholders to identify issues where quality assured training is part of the solution. This collaboration with NOAH is a great example of that commitment in action. By combining NOAH’s technical expertise with Lantra’s know-how in developing and delivering training we have created a certified course that will help UK agriculture meet the challenges of managing antibiotics and comply with latest industry guidance.  In this case we are delivering an E-Learning solution to enable farm staff and others to access the training when it’s convenient for them”.

Notes for Editors
For further information please contact Danielle Carter at Mistral danielle.carter@mistral-pr.co.uk or 07719 567345 or Grace O’Gorman or Alison Glennon at NOAH

About NOAH

NOAH represents the UK animal medicines industry. Its aim is to promote the benefits of safe, effective, quality medicines for the health and welfare of all animals. For further information, please visit: www.noah.co.uk

The new training is available at https://www.noah.co.uk or direct from Lantra at www.elearning.lantra.co.uk.

Each sector (Dairy, Beef, Sheep and Pig) has a set of modules, including two core modules and a sector focus module. The core modules cover the fundamentals of antibiotics, AMR and responsible use with a mix of theory and practical applications. The focus modules address key areas of interest with a broad choice for the beef and dairy sectors. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a Lantra Certificate of Training. This can be used as a record for Red Tractor assessment.

The online farmer training costs £59.95 + VAT per sector participant (Dairy, Beef, Sheep, Pig)

About Lantra:

Lantra supports both individuals and companies to achieve personal and business growth. A nationally recognised awarding organisation, they have over 40 years’ experience of developing quality training and qualifications. Lantra’s products are designed to specifically meet the business and individual needs of those primarily working within the land-based and environmental sector