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Pork producers urged to prepare for ’17

Pork producers are urged to get ready for antibiotic use changes that go into full effect in 2017.  Bob Thaler, a swine specialist with South Dakota State University Extension, says the Food and Drug Administration rule means producers won’t be allowed to use antibiotics for feed efficiency and will need a prescription for disease prevention or control. He tells Brownfield Ag News, “You’re going to have to get a Veterinary Feed Director, or basically a prescription from your veterinarian to have that happen. And what that’s going to require is you having a valid veterinary/client/patient relationship with that veterinarian.”

Thaler tells Brownfield there’s still no scientific evidence that animals treated with antibiotics can cause antibiotic resistance in humans who eat that meat, “I have not seen the smoking gun research that says, yes, that antibiotics fed to these pigs caused residues in the pork which then caused antibiotic resistance in these people. I don’t think we have ever seen that.”

Thaler says the FDA guidance is a preventative measure and producers need to get ready. He says most producers have that veterinarian relationship because they’re in the Pork Quality Assurance program (PQA), “While January of 2017 seems like a long ways away, producers need to get going on that right away. Then again, most producers have a solid working relationship with their veterinarian and they just need to get together with your vets right now and figure out the best way for them to proceed.”

He says Veterinary Feed Directives will be needed to use antibiotics in both feed and water.

AUDIO:  Interview with Bob Thaler: