Advanced Training in Intensive Livestock Health and Production

广泛的自由贸易、高效的国际运输、知识和技术传播、资源和劳动力成本以及立法负担使集约型畜牧业(猪和家禽)竞争激烈。对生猪生产的补贴相当于整个经合组织国家农场平均价值的23%，这是英国生产商无法获得的，这增加了竞争压力。尽管有大量高效的生猪和家禽产业，但英国在肉鸡和猪肉生产方面都出现了贸易逆差(DEFRA 2007,2008)。竞争压力和技术进步推动了生产效率的显著提高。例如，在肉鸡生产中，日增重翻了一番，从1970年的30克/天增加到2003年的60克/天，同期食物转化效率(每千克活增重饲料千克)从2.3提高到1.8。生产力的提高主要与遗传改良、更好的营养和疾病控制方面的显著进步有关，这反过来又允许更大的集约化，从而提高生产效率。由于许多直截了当的问题已经找到了解决方案，而且现在存在对更复杂的技术创新的需求，改善的速度已经放缓。需要在全球范围内进一步提高生产率，以满足预计的人口增长和动物蛋白消费量的增加，到2030年，动物蛋白消费量将翻一番。发展中国家繁荣程度的提高和社会变化威胁着英国的粮食安全，而英国的粮食安全历来是在国内产量不足时通过进口来保证的。随着产量的增加，增加“足迹”(淡水消耗、温室气体排放和土壤退化)在环境上是不可取的。在经济现实、商业效率和道德约束的背景下，能够将从生产动物的DNA到消费者饮食的知识和理解结合在一起的劳动力将为畜牧业提供最好的服务。在英国，为集约化畜牧业生产提供的兽医和相关科学技能日益短缺。这对英国的粮食安全构成了真正的结构性威胁，并导致英国缺乏经济竞争力。在英国，只有3.8%的兽医从事专门生产动物的工作，由此推断，在集约化畜牧业工作的比例较小(RCVS调查2010)。虽然兽医有资格全面处理与食用动物有关的重大挑战，但他们没有接受作为集约化牲畜兽医有效运作所需的高度专业化的培训。目前，在英国，持有家禽和猪医学专业文凭的兽医分别为第6名和第12名(RCVS注册，2009年)，其中72%的人在1987年之前获得文凭，这表明人口老龄化。驻英国的欧洲学院外交官只有8人，相应的家禽科学学院只有6名欧洲外交官，这反映了欧洲大陆的技能短缺。美国也存在类似的短缺。此外，对鸡和猪生物学有专门知识的基础科学家或应用科学家寥寥无几，对《陆基研究规定》(HEFCE 2007)的审查发现，从事畜牧生产课程的学生很少。支持的理由是：尽管英国的生猪和家禽产业效率很高，但英国在生猪和家禽产品方面的贸易逆差。要保持竞争力、促进全球消费、确保英国食品安全并减少对环境的影响，就需要大幅提高生产率。从DNA到饮食，都需要全方位的专业知识来支持这个行业。有一小部分熟练的兽医和科学家正在支持该行业。

Extensive free trade, efficient International transportation, knowledge and technology dissemination, resource and workforce costs and legislative burden make the intensive livestock (pigs and poultry) industries searingly competitive. A subsidy for pig production amounting to 23% of value at farmgate averaged across OECD countries which is not available to UK producers exerts increased competitive pressure. Despite large efficient pig and poultry industries the UK has a negative trade balance in both broiler and pig meat production (DEFRA 2007, 2008). Competitive pressure and technological progress have driven remarkable improvements in production efficiency. For instance in broiler production daily weight gain doubled, from 30 grammes per day (g/d) in 1970 to 60 g/d in 2003 and food conversion efficiency (kilogrammes (kg) feed per kg live weight gain) improved from 2.3 to 1.8 over the same period. Productivity gains have been primarily associated with genetic improvement, better nutrition and dramatic advances in disease control which in turn have permitted greater intensification and thus production efficiency. The rate of improvement has slowed as solutions have been found to many straightforward problems and a requirement now exists for more technologically sophisticated innovation. A further step-change in productivity will be required on a global scale to meet the predicted population growth and increased consumption of animal protein which is set to double by 2030. The improved prosperity and social changes in developing countries threaten UK food security which historically has been assured by importation when internal production is inadequate. It is environmentally undesirable to increase the 'footprint' (fresh water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and soil degradation) as production increases. The livestock industry will be best served by a workforce capable of integrating knowledge and understanding from the DNA of the production animal to the diet of the consumer and in the context of economic reality, business efficiency and ethical constraint. There is a growing shortage of veterinary and associated scientific skills provision for intensive livestock production in the UK. This presents a real, structural danger to UK food security and is contributing to lack of economic competitiveness. Only 3.8% of veterinarians in the UK work in exclusively production animal practice and by inference a smaller proportion work in intensive livestock production (RCVS survey 2010). Whilst veterinarians qualify with an all round ability to deal with the major challenges that arise with food animals, they do not receive the highly specialised training required to operate effectively as intensive livestock veterinarians. Currently veterinarians holding specialist diplomas in poultry and pig medicine in the UK number 6 and 12 respectively (RCVS Register 2009) and of these 72% acquired their diplomas before 1987, suggesting an ageing population. Only 8 UK based European college diplomats exist and there are only 6 European diplomats in the corresponding poultry science college, reflecting the skills shortage in mainland Europe. A similar shortage exists in the USA. Furthermore there are few basic or applied scientists with specialised knowledge of chicken and pig biology and a review of provision for Land Based Studies (HEFCE 2007) identified the paucity of students engaged in courses on livestock production. The case for support is that: Despite an efficient pig and poultry industry the UK has a negative trade balance in pig and poultry products. Substantial improvements in productivity will be required to remain competitive, to contribute to global consumption, to ensure UK food security and to reduce environmental impact. Holistic expertise will be required from DNA to diet to support the industry. There is a small declining cadre of skilled veterinarians and scientists supporting the sector.