Pig industry highlights commitment to antibiotic best practice
The Scottish pig industry is continuing to take steps towards staying at the frontline for best practice in the targeted use of antibiotics.
Veterinary and medical sectors have been under particular scrutiny over the use of antibiotics, due to concerns about antibiotics-resistant bacteria. However additional measures are now being taken to ensure the Scottish pig industry is well-placed to address these concerns.
QMS says Scotland is committed to keeping best practice for the use of antibiotics in the pig industry.
The Scottish pig industry has a track record of embracing innovation and technology to help improve pig health and welfare. The latest steps will also reinforce existing measures to make sure antibiotic use is targeted and recorded.
A large majority of Scotland’s commercial pig farmers are members of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), a quality assurance scheme that underpins the Specially Selected Pork brand.
The standards for this scheme now include a requirement for pig farmers to record any antibiotics used in an electronic medicines book. This enables antibiotic use on both individual farms and across the industry to be monitored and managed more closely.
Allan Ward, QMS pig specialist, said: “Scottish commercial pig farmers are very aware of the need for antibiotics to be used in a careful, targeted way.
“This is in the interests of an animal’s health and welfare and also makes good business sense as antibiotics can be a significant cost.
“Moves to further improve the targeting of antibiotic use, combined with alternative management techniques, are a win-win all round.”
Ward later added: “The requirement for pig producers to maintain a medicine book on-farm has long been in place but the standards now require any antibiotic use to be carefully logged in an electronic format.”
“QMS assured pig farmers are required to regularly submit their antibiotic use data, allowing our industry’s overall use to be carefully monitored – a further significant step forward,” Ward finished.
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