Antibiotic records could become increasingly important for sheep farmers in assurance schemes or government programmes
Sheep farmers could benefit from a new nationwide antibiotic reporting system designed to demonstrate responsible medicine use and provide stronger evidence of the sector's low reliance on antibiotics.
The UK Ruminant Antibiotic Stewardship Roadmap, launched on 15 October at the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) Congress, sets out proposals to improve antibiotic usage data across the livestock sector.
The National Sheep Association (NSA) has welcomed the initiative, saying more consistent national reporting would help demonstrate the responsible use of antibiotics already practised on many sheep farms.
The roadmap recommends developing a UK-wide minimum dataset and national reporting framework, with flexibility to accommodate different arrangements across the devolved nations.
It also proposes collecting anonymised antimicrobial usage (AMU) data from dispensing veterinary practices and pharmacies, with information reported through AHDB's Medicine Hub.
The platform provides a secure, independent system for recording and reporting antibiotic use across the UK's sheep, beef and dairy sectors.
Although the proposals do not introduce compulsory reporting, antibiotic usage records could become increasingly important for farmers participating in assurance schemes or government initiatives.
NSA Policy Manager Michael Priestley said: "AMU data provision could become a requirement of assurance schemes or government initiatives, so it is imperative that industry works to develop solutions that work on farm."
Annual veterinary-led farm reviews are another key recommendation, allowing farmers and vets to assess antibiotic use through confidential discussions supported by more detailed data.
The reviews would also help identify improvements in disease prevention, biosecurity, vaccination, diagnostics and livestock husbandry.
However, establishing a consistent reporting system presents challenges for the sheep sector, with more than 65,000 holdings across Great Britain operating under a wide range of farming conditions.
Many sheep enterprises use extensive, low-input systems, although flock sizes, management practices and geographical conditions vary considerably.
This diversity means a flexible approach to data collection will be important if the proposed framework is to work effectively across different sheep production systems.
Existing information from Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers, alongside records maintained by individual farmers and veterinary practices, already indicates relatively low antibiotic use in many sheep systems.
However, more comprehensive national evidence is needed to establish a clearer picture of antibiotic usage across the wider industry.
NSA supports the judicious use of antibiotics, following the principle of using them "as little as possible, and as much as necessary".
The organisation helped shape the roadmap through the Sheep Antibiotic Guardian Group and an online discussion session involving farmers.
The initiative has also involved veterinary and agricultural organisations, including RCVS Knowledge, RUMA Agriculture and the Sheep Veterinary Society.
Alongside improving data collection, the roadmap aims to strengthen animal health and disease resilience while supporting responsible antibiotic use across the ruminant sector.
Mr Priestley stressed that industry involvement would be essential to ensuring the reporting system remains practical for farmers.
"Medicine Hub has been developed to store this data, and it is by working with Medicine Hub that it can be improved."