FAO ECTAD extended farm biosecurity and prudent use of antimicrobials to broiler farmers as part of the One Health mechanism
Vientiane Province, Lao People's Democratic Republic – The consultation workshop on the establishment of broiler farmer field school (BFFS) in Lao PDR was held from 5th– 6th August 2024 in Vangvieng District of Vientiane Province. The workshop was supported by the Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Lao People’ Democratic Republic. The workshop was co-chaired by Ms. Khemphone Homrasmy, Deputy Director General of the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), and Dr. Supatsak Subharat, FAOLA ECTAD Team Leader. The support was made possible with the generous contribution from the United Kingdom Agency for International Development (UK Aid) through the Fleming Fund.
The workshop was designed to achieve three strategic objectives. This included the enhancement of the collaboration between the stakeholders including government and private sector in piloting BFFS toward improving good practices, farm biosecurity, prudent use of antimicrobials, mitigation of the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, and the enhancement of the profits of the participating broiler farmer in the BFFS. The workshop also aimed to develop and agree upon the mechanism for the selection of the BFFS sites, while ensuring all activities identified and listed ready for the BFFS set-up in Vientiane Capital.
In the consultation workshop, the participants reviewed the status of broiler farming in Vientiane Capital, discussed site selection for piloting the BFFS, and determined criteria for selecting the right broiler farm, including farm size and broiler breeds to include in the BFFS. In addition, the participants reviewed the existing tool for data collection and surveillance, which was translated into Lao language to ensure it fits to the local context. The participants also defined the best-suited coordination mechanisms to better facilitate piloting the BFFS in Vientiane Capital.
Twenty-five participants attended this consultation workshop. Among them were technical staff from various technical divisions under DLF, including the Livestock Management Division, the Standardization and Sanitary Division, the Division of Planning and Administration and the National Animal Health Laboratory. Additionally, livestock officers from the Provincial Livestock and Fisheries Section under the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO) of Vientiane Capital and livestock officers from the District Agriculture and Forestry Office (DAFO) of Naxaithong and Xaithany Districts in Vientiane Capital, attended the workshop. Participants from the private sector, such as C.P. and Betagro in Vientiane Capital, also joined this consultation workshop.