October 14, 2010

Antibiotic usage in Dutch livestock decreases in 2009

The usage of antibiotics in the intensive livestock industry of the Netherlands has dropped in 2009 compared to 2008, according to the Dutch Agricultural Economic Institute (LEI).

The LEI calculated the number of daily dosages of antibiotics on animal farms on the basis of samples and sales figures of FIDIN, the organisation representing the Dutch animal health industry.

Antibiotic use in broilers and finisher pigs had come down slightly in 2009, after a rapid increase in previous years. Antibiotic use in sows and piglets, however, had increased after a small decrease in the years prior to that. In dairy cattle, antibiotic use decreased for the first time.

In total, 2% less antibiotics were sold compared to 2008. The reduction is too small to achieve the Dutch authorities' targets of a 50% reduction by 2011.

For EU producers, it was decided that on January 1, 2007, that antibiotics were no longer allowed as growth promoters. The role of antibiotics in animal production has ever since been a topic of scientific debate.