Dutch farmers use less antibiotics

The use of antibiotics in livestock in the Netherlands was further reduced in 2013. This is according to figures from the Dutch Authority of Veterinary Medicines (SDa). At the same time, an international conference is being held to further reduce antibiotic resistance.Photo: Henk RiswickBetween 2012 and 2013, the use of antibiotics in the Dutch pig industry dropped the most, by 30%. Also in the poultry sector, less antibiotics were uses - 25% less compared to 2012. In the veal calf sector, antibiotic use decreased by 15%. In the cattle industry, the antibiotic use remained stable. The decrease in the use of antibiotics is also shown in the sales figures of antibiotics. In 2013, sales were 57.7% down from 2009. SDa is positive about the continued decrease of the antibiotics use but stresses that farmers and veterinarians need to continue to use even less in the near future. The SDa wants to use a more animal-specific approach for this, target values that take scientific knowledge about resistance formation are taken into account.Netherlands is average userAccording to a comparison by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Netherlands is an average user of antibiotics in livestock, compared to other European countries. The comparison was made of the 2011 figures and is the most recent comparison available. In 2007, the Netherlands was considered one of the top users in Europe. The highest users in 2011 were Cyprus, followed by Italy and Spain. Norway used the lowest volu...
Source: PharmaGossip - Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Source Type: blogs