Industry leaders, including the Northern Ireland Pork and Bacon Forum, have welcomed latest figures which show antibiotic usage throughout the pig industry in the UK remained unchanged last year, despite significant disease challenges in mainland Great Britain.
According to data collected using the electronic medicine book (eMB), antibiotic use throughout the UK in 2019 held at 110 mg/PCU. The data represents 95% of pigs slaughtered in the UK and equals usage in 2018, having fallen 60% in the three years prior.
Significantly, the use of highest priority critically important antibiotics (HP-CIAs) has seen a further decrease, down from 0.06 mg/PCU in 2018 to 0.04 mg/PCU last year. The use of Colistin represents only 0.002 mg/PCU, down from 0.004 mg/PCU.
Deirdre McIvor, Chief Executive of NI Pork and Bacon Forum, commented: “The UK pig industry has worked hard to reduce antibiotic usage. The fact that the overall level has remained the same on last year is almost certainly due to a spike of swine dysentery cases in Great Britain in 2019. Swine dysentery is a bacterial disease and, while there are a number of actions that can prevent disease spread, treatment with antibiotics is sometimes both responsible and necessary to safeguard animal health and welfare.
“In Northern Ireland we did not have swine dysentery. While there is room for continued improvement, we are pleased to note that in Northern Ireland, antibiotic usage has reduced by a further 6% in 2019 on the previous year”.
Deirdre McIvor continued: “NI Pork and Bacon Forum led our industry’s participation in the development of eMB. It is especially encouraging to see the already low use of high priority critically important antibiotics almost halved. It is vitally important that we address antimicrobial resistance in order to ensure that critical medicines are there to treat disease when required. As producers and processors, we remain committed to the reduction of antibiotic use with no detriment to the welfare and health of our livestock.”
For further information on NI Pork and Bacon Forum visit www.nipork.com
