Farmers are increasingly aware that better livestock health and welfare leads to improved profitability, according to Mr Sean O Laoide, president of Veterinary Ireland.

And he said the role of vets in protecting consumer interests and food safety had taken on a new level of recognition in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Ireland had the highest dependence in Europe on animals and, subsequently on animal health and welfare, he said yesterday when he announced that a new exhibition, Animal Health 2002, would be held at the RDS in Dublin on February 9th and 10th next.