The National Pork Board (NPB) is pointing to the FDA’s recent Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food Producing Animals as evidence that the nation’s 60,000 pig farmers are doing what’s right on the farm for people, pigs and the planet when it comes to their commitment to antibiotic stewardship. The report shows that the overall use of antibiotics in livestock is the lowest since 2009. Yet, according to USDA, America’s pig farmers produced over 5 million more market hogs in 2016 than in 2009 and market weights increased by 16 pounds in that period. Those figures suggest that today’s pig farmers are using far less total antibiotics per pound of pork produced, NPB said. “This report, which still is based on sales and not actual usage, supports what we already know at the farm level — we’re using fewer antibiotics overall today because we’re committed to reducing the need for them while protecting the health and welfare of our animals,” said NPB President Terry O’Neel. “When we must use antibiotics, we work closely with our veterinarians to ensure that we use them according to the FDA-approved label.”
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