British pig producers have slashed their use of antibiotics again, latest data shows.
The pig sector’s antibiotic use fell by 16% to 110 mg/PCU in 2018, putting it closer to the industry target of 99 mg/PCU by 2020, figures from the electronic medicine book (eMB) have revealed.
There was also a further drop in the use of critically important antibiotics to just 0.06mg/PCU in 2018. In 2017 it was 0.1mg/PCU. Colistin, considered a drug of last resort in human medicine, represented only 0.004 mg/PCU.
“The industry remains well on track to meet the challenging antibiotic targets set by the pig industry via the RUMA targets taskforce in 2017,” said NPA senior policy advisor Rebecca Veale.
“This continuing progress demonstrates the pig industry’s responsible approach to antibiotics and the ongoing hard work of producers, with their vets and others involved in pig production.”
AHDB said the success could be attributed to “several factors” including the addition of antibiotic recording to Red Tractor standards. “This is really positive progress,” said Angela Christison, AHDB’s pork strategy director.
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