Farmers urged to cut antibiotics and rethink livestock production systems
FARMERS must urgently re-think their livestock production systems to reduce their use of antibiotics, for the future good of both animal and human health.
That is the view of experts from the European Food Safety Authority and the European Medicines Agency, who asserted that the growing number of bugs evolving resistance to humanity’s limited armoury of antimicrobials is now one of the world’s most pressing public health issues.
Continued widespread use of antibiotics in domesticated animals was contributing to this problem worldwide, particularly where low-level doses were used prophylactically to maintain production efficiency in pigs and poultry, so limiting their use to the bare minimum necessary to treat actual infections was now crucial.
The EFSA and the EMA have reviewed the measures taken in the European Union to reduce antimicrobial use in animals and stressed that there was no “one-size-fits-all” solution – successful reduction strategies had to take into account the local livestock production system and involves all stakeholders, from governments to farmers.
EFSA executive director Dr Bernhard Url said: “It is clear strategies already available can be implemented immediately and will have a positive impact on levels of antimicrobial resistance. At the same time, there is a need for innovative solutions – we need to find alternative ways to prevent and treat bacterial infections in animals.”
EMA’s executive director Professor Guido Rasi agreed: “There are only a few new antibiotics in the development pipeline, hence those already available need to be used responsibly, both in humans and animals.
“Collecting data on AMR and antibiotic consumption is key to putting into place effective measures to control AMR and retain the effectiveness of antimicrobials for the benefit of public and animal health.”
Alternatives to antimicrobials that have been shown to improve animal health include vaccines, probiotics, prebiotics, bacteriophages and organic acids. The experts concluded it was reasonable to assume reducing antimicrobial use in food-producing animals would result in a general decrease in antimicrobial resistance in the bacteria they carry.
However, both the EFSA and EMA pointed out that reducing the use of antibiotics in livestock systems was not, in itself, enough to deal with the problems arising from the high numbers of animals kept for human food.
There was, they said, a need to re-think the business by implementing farming practices that prevent the introduction and spread of the disease into farms and by considering alternative farming systems.
In February, EFSA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control are due to publish their annual report on the levels of antimicrobial resistance in food, animals and humans. For in-depth news and views on Scottish agriculture, see this Friday’s The Scottish Farmer or visit www. thescottishfarmer.co.uk. HARRISON & Hetherington Ltd sold 29 store heifers in Lockerbie yesterday to a top of 230.4p per kg and an average of 207.3p (-13.8p on the previous sale), while 54 store bullocks peaked at 248.8p and levelled at 215.7p (-4.9p).
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 16 prime heifers at Ayr yesterday to a top of £1,432.95 per head and 237p per kg to average £1,206.83 and 220.1p.
In the rough ring 35 beef cows sold to £960 and 145.3p to average 121.1p, while 80 dairy cows peaked at £980 and 116.6p to level at 95.6p.
Eight bulls sold to £1,180 and 127.1p to average 113.3p, while five clean, OTM cattle peaked at £1,270 and 163.3p to level at 144.3p.
A smaller show of eight dairy cattle sold to £1,550 for a Holstein Friesian heifer and averaged £1,169.
Wallets Marts sold 1,601 prime hoggs in Castle Douglas yesterday to a top of £80 per head and 206.2p per kg to average £61.12 and 156.5p (-9.7p on the week).
There were also 281 cast sheep forward when ewes sold to £77 for Texels and £47 for Blackfaces.