The objective ofthis thesis is to expand on the literature of animal health economics by the development of a system of economic models capable of assessing the wider economic impacts of livestock diseases (part I) and to apply the theory ofdamage control to the use ofveterinary inputs (Part II). The first part ofthis thesis examines the wider economic impact of 35 livestock diseases in Great Britain. Besides the costs of disease losses, treatment and control, it also covers their consequences for animal welfare and human health. A uniform framework was developed to calculate these wider economic effects. The information was compiled using a combination of secondary data, originating from veterinary literature and government statistics, and several surveys. Also, disease effects were valued at the margin given their marginal impact on domestic .' . and international markets of livestock products. Spreadsheet models were built based on the developed framework and using the collected data, which enables comparison of the economic importance of different livestock diseases. The thesis presents two examples ofhow this framework can be used to (1) find the optimal level of disease control for a particular disease control measure, and (2) set priorities for government expenditure on research, disease control, education and/or surveillance. The second part ofthis thesis presents the first known application of damage control theory to livestock disease. This theory distinguishes between damage abatement inputs (such as veterinary inputs) and produ<;tive inputs, as their role in the production process differs. The combination oftechnical/economic information (Farm Business Survey) and disease incidence information (National Milk Records; mastitis in dairy herds) created a unique new dataset. It was found that this application was reasonably successful, given the expeCted high variation in disease incidence and control measures, as well as the quality ofthe data. With respect to policy implications, the results suggest that there is a general overutilisation of veterinary inputs in dairy systems in England compared to the economically optimal level, but also in relation to the use ofother inputs. Unlike the spreadsheet-based models, applications of damage control theory require more detailed epidemiological, economical and farm management information.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:485355 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Ijpelaar, Adrianus C. E. |
| Publisher | University of Reading |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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