Sales of veterinary medicines held steady in the year to the end of September despite turbulence in the agriculture sector.

Sales of vaccines grew 10 per cent in the same period.

"Total expenditure on animal health products for the 12 months to September this year was £70 million, (€88.9m), just half of one per cent less than in the same period in 2000," said Mr Declan O Brien, director of APHA.