Source: Feedstuffs

June 25, 2012

The policy objective in the Netherlands of a 20% reduction in the use of antibiotics in the years 2009-11 has been achieved, according to new data relating to the veterinary use of antibiotics published by LEI Wageningen UR.

According to the announcement, in the pig and broiler sectors, the use of antibiotics has

declined considerably. On the basis of the random sample, the decrease in use within the veal calf sector in 2009-11 was a little under 20%, but a decrease had already been achieved in this area before 2009. In the dairy farming sector, the use of antibiotics has remained fairly stable and at a relatively low level.

More than 50% of all the randomly selected farms have antibiotic use below the targets set for 2011 by the Animal Drug Authority (Autoriteit Diergeneesmiddelen, SDa). Fewer than 10% of the farms have usage levels above the signaling value and/or action value.

In the period from 2009 to the end of 2011, total sales of antibiotics in Dutch livestock farming dropped by almost 32%, from 495 metric tons in 2009 to 338 mt in 2011, the

report said. In comparison with 2007, when sales were at their highest level, the decrease is 40%. This is demonstrated by the sales figures provided by FIDIN, the Dutch federation of the veterinary pharmaceutical industry.

Full text: http://tinyurl.com/6v4ea3q