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NEW targets for the responsible use of antibiotics in UK farm animals over the next four years have been released today , European Antibiotic Awareness Day ( 18 November ), by a task force of leading vets and farmers .
The new goals , facilitated by RUMA and set out in ‘ Targets Task Force Report 2020 ’, build on the successful implementation of the last targets released in 2017 . Overall , these have helped to halve sales of antibiotics to treat UK farm animals and achieve the fifth-lowest usage in Europe , with only Nordic countries lower [ 1 ].
The report , launched alongside the Veterinary Medicine Directorate ’ s ( VMD ) release of antibiotic sales data for 2019 , covers 10 sectors across
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aquaculture , pigs , poultry and ruminants . For the first time , calf rearing is examined in isolation in order to focus in on the specific health and welfare interventions that will reduce the need for antibiotic treatments .
With over 75 % of the original targets now achieved early or on track to be achieved by the deadline , the time is right to ‘ reset ’ in some sectors with refreshed challenges for the next four years says RUMA chair Cat McLaughlin .
“ The UK farming industry has responded extremely well to the targets . Our original aim of lowering overall antibiotic use , and in particular highest-priority critically important antibiotics ( HP-CIAs ), has been categorically achieved in the face of some challenging external conditions ,” she says .
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Cat McLaughlin
“ Most sectors are now capturing data on antibiotic use across 90 % or more of their sector which has been a key part of the success .
However she says the overall picture in terms of use in the large and diverse cattle and sheep sectors is still lacking , which is why targets for 2024 include the collection of data
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into the new AHDB Medicine Hub , a UK centralised database for ruminants .
Targets across the ruminant sectors also include a focus on disease prevention and herd and flock health planning , with plans to develop a new network of ‘ Farm Vet Champions ’. While specific reduction goals have not been set for beef and sheep , there is an aim that dairy and calf rearing will secure reductions in use of 15 % and 25 % respectively across the national herd by 2024 as data become available .
Other sectors aiming to achieve reductions in antibiotic use as a result of farm-level interventions include the pig sector , with plans to decrease by a further 30 % by 2024 , and gamebirds with a goal to cut back by 40 %.
Among other activities , the pig sector is promoting
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best-practice guidelines to reduce post-weaning diarrhoea , a common cause of antibiotic use , and will be identifying and supporting reductions among any farmers using higher levels of antibiotics within the sector . Gamebird farmers and vets will be focusing on improved practices , research into disease and farm assurance .
Professor Peter Borriello CB , chief executive of the VMD , has welcomed the report , confirming that the UK livestock sectors already have good progress behind them
“ We look forward to working with the sectors as we continue on this endeavour , which will ultimately be of benefit to the reputation of the UK livestock sectors as well as helping to protect human and animal health .”
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