Antibiotic Use Goes Under the Spotlight at Royal Welsh Show

Rural Enterprise , 18th July 2022

The drive to increase awareness and stop the spread of antibiotic resistance in animals and the environment in Wales will be highlighted at this week’s Royal Welsh Show.

Arwain DGC is a project created to highlight the issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to help farmers, equine keepers and vets in Wales reduce the need to use antibiotics, through the use of training, technology, data gathering, and intelligence*.

At the Royal Welsh Show, an invited audience of vets, farmers, and industry representatives, will receive the latest information about Arwain DGC’s work and achievements since its launch last autumn.

There will also be an Arwain DGC showcase next to the Welsh Government Pavillion next Wednesday (July 20th) where members of the public can find out more about the project.

Led by Menter a Busnes, Arwain DGC comprises of a schedule of activities and brings together experienced collaborators to deliver a wide-ranging programme addressing AMR in animals and the environment. Included are key Welsh agricultural stakeholders (Menter a Busnes, Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers Ltd and Welsh Agricultural Organisation Society), academic institutions (University of Bristol and Aberystwyth University School of Veterinary Science) and veterinary delivery partners (Iechyd Da and Milfeddygon Gogledd Cymru).

Among the activities is expanding the existing Veterinary Prescribing Champions (VPCs) and creating Proof of Concept (PoC) farms to trial new methods to reduce the need to use antibiotics and share information.

On the third day of the Royal Welsh Show, the VPCs and PoC farmers will have the opportunity to network and hear the latest updates from the project’s partners and Welsh Government – with a keynote presentation by Dr Christianne Glossop, Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to give their views on what AMR means to them.

Arwain DGC Project Manager, Dewi Hughes, said,

“We are proud to host this event at the show; it will be a great opportunity to provide an update on what we have achieved since we started the project last September.

“This includes setting up 12 Proof of Concept farms, gathering antibiotic use from over 1,000 farms, supporting 53 Veterinary Prescribing Champions across Wales, working with 53 farms to review AMR in the environment, developing a biosecurity app, and providing over 100 one-to-one clinics with vets and equine owners.”

The event will also see the launch of a short animated film – created for Arwain DGC – which explains the need to reduce antibiotic use and the work being done to decrease its need.

Dewi Hughes said,

“This animation will complement our other material on our website and social media channels to help raise awareness and to address the increasing risk posed by antimicrobial resistance to animals and humans. The information and activities undertaken through Arwain DGC aim to support vets, farmers and equine owners to reduce the need to use antibiotics.”

Arwain DGC is closely aligned to the Welsh Government’s five-year AMR in Animals and the Environment Implementation Plan (2019 – 2024). This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

Caiff yr ymgyrch i godi ymwybyddiaeth ac atal lledaenu ymwrthedd i wrthfiotigau mewn anifeiliaid a’r amgylchedd yng Nghymru ei hamlygu yn Sioe Frenhinol Cymru yr wythnos nesaf.

Mae Arwain DGC yn brosiect a grëwyd er mwyn tynnu sylw at y broblem o ymwrthedd gwrthficrobaidd (AMR) ac i helpu ffermwyr, ceidwaid ceffylau a milfeddygon yng Nghymru i leihau’r angen i ddefnyddio gwrthfiotigau, drwy ddefnyddio hyfforddiant, technoleg, casglu data, a deallusrwydd*.

Yn Sioe Frenhinol Cymru, bydd cynulleidfa wadd o filfeddygon, ffermwyr, a chynrychiolwyr y diwydiant yn derbyn y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am waith a chyflawniadau Arwain DGC ers lansio yr Hydref diwethaf.

Bydd gan Arwain DGC hefyd arddangosfa ger Pafiliwn Llywodraeth Cymru ddydd Mercher nesaf (Gorffennaf 20) lle gall aelodau o’r cyhoedd ddarganfod mwy am y prosiect.

Dan arweiniad Menter a Busnes, mae Arwain DGC yn cynnwys amserlen o weithgareddau ac yn dod â chydweithredwyr profiadol ynghyd i gyflwyno rhaglen eang sy’n mynd i’r afael ag AMR mewn anifeiliaid a’r amgylchedd. Mae’n cynnwys rhanddeiliaid amaethyddol allweddol Cymru (Menter a Busnes, Cynhyrchwyr Cig Oen ac Eidion Cyf a Welsh Agricultural Organisation Society) sefydliadau academaidd (Prifysgol Bryste ac Ysgol Gwyddor Filfeddygol Prifysgol Aberystwyth) a phartneriaid cyflenwi milfeddygol (Iechyd Da a Milfeddygon Gogledd Cymru).

Ymhlith y gweithgareddau mae ehangu’r rhwydwaith presennol o Bencampwyr Presgripsiynu Milfeddygol (Pencampwyr) a chreu’r ffermydd Prawf o Gysyniad (PoC) i dreialu dulliau newydd er mwyn lleihau’r angen i ddefnyddio gwrthfiotigau ac i rannu gwybodaeth.

Ar drydydd diwrnod Sioe Frenhinol Cymru, bydd y Pencampwyr a’r ffermwyr PoC yn cael y cyfle i rwydweithio ac i glywed y newyddion diweddaraf gan bartneriaid y prosiect a Llywodraeth Cymru – gyda’r prif gyflwyniad gan Dr Christianne Glossop, Prif Swyddog Milfeddygol Cymru. Bydd cyfle hefyd i fynychwyr ddweud eu barn ar yr hyn y mae AMR yn ei olygu iddynt.

Dywedodd Rheolwr Prosiect Arwain DGC, Dewi Hughes,

“Rydym yn falch o gynnal y digwyddiad hwn yn y sioe; bydd yn gyfle gwych i roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am yr hyn rydym wedi’i gyflawni ers i ni ddechrau’r prosiect fis Medi diwethaf.

“Mae hyn yn cynnwys sefydlu 12 fferm Prawf o Gysyniad, casglu’r defnydd o wrthfiotigau o dros 1,000 o ffermydd, cefnogi 53 o Bencampwyr Presgripsiynu Milfeddygol ledled Cymru, gweithio gyda 53 o ffermydd i gynnal arolwg o AMR yn yr amgylchedd, datblygu ap bioddiogelwch, a darparu dros 100 o glinigau un-i-un gyda milfeddygon a pherchnogion ceffylau.”

Bydd y digwyddiad hefyd yn gweld lansiad ffilm fer wedi’i hanimeiddio – a grëwyd ar gyfer Arwain DGC – sy’n egluro’r angen i leihau’r defnydd o wrthfiotigau a’r gwaith sy’n cael ei wneud i leihau’r angen amdanynt.

Dywedodd Dewi Hughes,

“Bydd yr animeiddiad hwn yn ategu’r adnoddau eraill ar ein gwefan a’n sianeli cyfryngau cymdeithasol i helpu i godi ymwybyddiaeth ac i fynd i’r afael â’r risg gynyddol a berir gan ymwrthedd gwrthficrobaidd i anifeiliaid a phobl. Nod y wybodaeth a’r gweithgareddau a wneir drwy Arwain DGC yw cefnogi milfeddygon, ffermwyr a pherchnogion ceffylau i leihau’r angen i ddefnyddio gwrthfiotigau.”

Mae Arwain DGC yn cyd-fynd yn agos â chynllun Ymwrthedd Gwrthficrobaidd mewn Anifeiliaid a’r Amgylchedd: Cynllun Gweithredu Pum Mlynedd i Gymru (2019-2024) Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae’r prosiect hwn wedi derbyn cyllid drwy Gymunedau Gwledig Llywodraeth Cymru - Rhaglen Datblygu Gwledig 2014-2020, a ariennir gan Gronfa Amaethyddol Ewrop ar gyfer Datblygu Gwledig a Llywodraeth Cymru.