Sales of veterinary antibiotics in the UK are at the lowest level ever recorded, in a report published by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) 1 November.

The figures, published in the latest UK-Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance and Sales Surveillance (VARSS) Report, show that sales of antibiotics for use in food-producing animals fell by nearly 10 percent in the last year and have more than halved since 2014.

Sales of the highest-priority antibiotics due to their critical importance to human health remain at extremely low levels. The report also highlights a positive picture of decreasing resistance across several key outcome indicators.

A genetic breakthrough has opened new opportunities for iron-fortified vegetables and cereal crops to help address the global health issue of anaemia.

John Innes Centre researchers used a newly available map of the pea-genome to identify the underlying genetic sequence responsible for two high-iron mutations in peas.

Professor Janneke Balk, a group leader at the John Innes Centre and an author of the research said, "There are a number of intriguing opportunities arising from this research but probably the most exciting outcome is that knowledge of these mutations could inform gene editing strategies to increase iron in a wide range of crops."

Defra has committed to working with industry and farmers to deliver further action to reduce methane emissions in livestock through the use of methane-suppressing feed products in England.

The move delivers on Defra's commitment in the Environmental Improvement Plan to explore innovative ways to reduce agricultural emissions and they hoped the feed products would enter the market from 2025.

Defra's ultimate objective is to establish a mature market, encourage uptake and mandate the use of these products in appropriate cattle systems across England, as soon as feasibly possible and no later than 2030.

The UK needs an evidence-led and proportionate regulatory approach for GM crops to realise the technology’s benefits for agriculture, a new policy briefing says.

The Royal Society paper, published today (24 October), sets out recent developments in using the GM method for crop improvement.

This has seen the technology used in a growing number of countries to enhance resistance to pests and diseases, improve nutrition and elevate tolerance to heat and drought.

British farmers and growers will continue to have access to important pesticides to support resilient and profitable food production and cut input costs, the government has announced today.

Following feedback from farmers and industry, these plans will ensure farmers and growers can continue to buy and use seeds treated with EU-approved pesticides, and more cost-effective pesticides identical to those authorised in Great Britain can continue being imported.

The plans will not only provide certainty to farmers so they know which treated seeds and plant protection products they can use in coming growing seasons, but will also help improve the availability and reduce the cost of pesticides.

The Universities of Lincoln and Cambridge have been awarded a £4.9 million grant to support their role in driving global agricultural innovation.

The funding was allocated by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and it is hoped it will also progress the Lincolnshire and North Cambridgeshire (LINCAM) region - which already supports 88,000 jobs and generates gross value added (GVA) of £3.8 billion to the UK economy - to create export opportunities for agritech companies, as well as boost inward investment.

Simon Pearson, founding director of the Lincoln Institute of Agri-Food Technology said the award would bring multiple benefits to what was one of the UK's most important farming regions.

A Kenyan court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit challenging a government decision to allow the importation and cultivation of genetically modified crops to help combat its food crisis.

In October last year, the government lifted a decade-old ban on GM crops in response to dwindling food security following the worst drought to ravage the Horn of Africa region in 40 years. Kenyan lawyer Paul Mwangi swiftly launched a court challenge, arguing the decision was unconstitutional as there were concerns over the safety of the crops.

But environment court judge Oscar Angote ruled on Thursday that there was no evidence to show any harm to nature or human health.

Researchers have developed gene-edited chickens that are partially resistant to bird flu.

Although the birds are not completely immune, the scientists say their work shows it might be possible to block the virus in three years.

The latest results suggest that making further changes to the birds' DNA could produce fully immune chickens.

Agricultural productivity is increasing, but not at a high enough rate, according to the “2023 Global Agricultural Productivity Report,” or GAP Report, which was released this week through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech.

From 2011-21, global total factor productivity, a measure of the world’s agricultural productivity, grew at an average of just 1.14% annually, the report says. To meet the agricultural needs of a growing global population by 2050, 1.91% annual growth is the new target, the report continues.

Genus plc, the parent company of PIC (Pig Improvement Company), has announced that Colombia’s government issued a favorable regulatory determination for gene-edited pigs resistant to the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

This means Colombia will treat the PRRS-resistant pigs the same as conventionally bred pigs. It is important to note this determination will not automatically trigger sales of PRRS-resistant pigs in Colombia. PIC is working closely and transparently with all stakeholders in the animal protein value chain to establish a timeline for commercialization.

“For more than 30 years, pork producers have struggled to protect their pigs from the devastating PRRS virus. PIC is working to make the PRRS-resistant pig and genetics available to producers across the globe to improve animal welfare and the sustainability of pork production,” said Matt Culbertson, chief operations officer at PIC. “Today’s announcement marks a critical milestone in the battle against PRRS and it moves PIC one step closer to commercializing the PRRS-resistant pig.”