working in Partnership with stakeholders and end-users

Originally formed by farmers, Moredun is proud of the close working relationship it has retained with the farming industry over the years. Moredun is aware how important it is that these links are retained, so that its work remains focused on the practical needs of farming.

Moredun constantly strives to develop partnerships with a range of stakeholder groups and industry bodies to ensure that there is successful and effective knowledge transfer and integration of specific capabilities and skills. By working in partnership resources and expertise can be shared and the activities of any project can be maximised.

responding to industry initiatives

 Moredun’s extensive knowledge of animal health contributed to a number of industry led initiatives in 2005.

The effective control of sheep scab has been a major focus of Moredun’s research for several years and as a result, Moredun has extensive knowledge of the disease caused by the scab mite Psoroptes ovis. It was therefore delighted to be invited to contribute to the Scottish Sheep Scab Initiative (SSSI). The initiative aims to provide an action framework to control sheep scab in Scotland through the promotion and support of best practice (flock biosecurity), minimising the impact of outbreaks by effective and coordinated treatment and by maximising the effects of preventative action by targeting risk and coordinating treatment. The Initiative is supported by an industry group of stakeholders, including NFUS, QMS, BVA and the Sheep Veterinary Society, SEERAD, NSA, the auction marts, SAC, SSPCA, SOPA and, of course, Moredun.

In 2005, Moredun was also asked for its help to develop a new, industry wide, standard cattle health declaration form for Scotland to improve the consistency of information provided to buyers. In the past, cattle health declarations in Scotland had many different formats all trying to convey the same information and the industry called for a single, clear and simple form to be developed. A stakeholder group led by NFU Scotland was therefore established and consisted of representatives from Moredun as well as breed societies, auction marts, vet bodies, producer groups and health scheme providers. By sharing expertise, this group developed a new look form, which was launched to the industry at the end of 2005.

working with industry bodies

 As the incidence of liver fluke increases across Scotland, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), wanted to alert producers to the economic and production implications of this disease, in order to improve the efficiency and profitability of Scottish livestock farmers. QMS therefore contracted Moredun to produce two fact sheets on liver fluke. The fact sheets, one focusing on the disease in sheep and the other in cattle, were distributed to livestock farmers in November 2005.

contributing to specialised events

 Moredun is also happy to respond to requests from stakeholder groups and hosted a number of specific industry focused events in 2005.

Moredun has organised an animal health roadshow each year for over ten years. The event, which travels throughout England, Scotland and Wales enjoys phenomenal success with extremely high attendance figures. Moredun is confident that this success is mainly due to the Roadshow being held and promoted in partnership with a range of different organisations including local vet practices, the NFU, SNFU, NFU Wales, the Welsh Assembly and a range of auction markets, breed societies and animal health distributors.

As a direct response of its successful 2004 roadshow, Moredun was invited by the Northern Ireland branch of the National Sheep Association (NSA) to hold a mini roadshow in Northern Ireland in February 2005, focusing on worm control in sheep. The meetings that followed were very well received and Moredun has subsequently scheduled another mini animal health roadshow in Northern Ireland in conjunction with the NSA for 2006.

Moredun was also pleased to be a major contributor to the International Meat Quality Conference, which was held in Edinburgh in June 2005. The conference, which was organised by Quality Meat Scotland, included a full day of lectures and workshops by Moredun and was held at Pentlands Science Park.

The Dairy Science Forum held its Autumn meeting in Edinburgh in November 2005 and spent half a day at Moredun hearing about some of its cattle health research. Moredun was also happy to provide three speakers to the high profile NFU Scotland National Cattle Health Conference that was held at Perth in May.

Moredun frequently works in partnership with producer groups whenever it can. In 2005 the Blackface Sheep Breeders Association (BFSB) was keen to raise the profile of a specific disease to its breeders and approached Moredun for help. Always happy to engage with end-users and support technology transfer, Moredun arranged for the scientist leading the research in this area to give a talk to BFSB members at three of the Association’s branch meetings in 2005 as well as providing a specific article on this disease for the BFSB journal.