A Food and Drug Administration report shows the overall usage of antibiotics in livestock production in 2016 was the lowest since 2009. National Pork Board President and Nebraska pork producer Terry O’Neel says this came as no surprise. He says it’s a validation of the work pork producers have been doing to reduce the overall need for antibiotics, while still protecting the health and welfare of their herds.
Considering U.S. pork producers are producing 5 million more hogs than they were in 2009 and the weights are up 16 pounds in that period, O’Neel says the report shows today’s pig farmers are using far less total antibiotics per pound of pork produced.
He points out the new report is only an estimate of antibiotic use and it does not differentiate between the different species of livestock.
O’Neel says the data does underscore that pork producers don’t need new legislation or rules to make management changes to improve their antibiotic stewardship.
