2023 antibiotic usage in UK pig industry

With the 69% reduction over the nine-year period, it was expected that we may reach a low point, and a slight increase was always expected – particularly if we had disease challenges on farms.

Data collected by AHDB using the electronic Medicine Book (eMB) show that antibiotic usage in UK pigs last year was 85 mg/PCU (milligrams per population correction unit) – an increase on the 2022 figure of 72 mg/PCU, but lower than the 87 mg/PCU recorded in 2021, indicating that the trend is still downwards.

What happens next year may give a better indication of whether we have reached that nadir, or if further reductions are possible without compromising animal welfare.

Total antibiotic usage in pigs recorded in eMB in 2023

Disease in pigs, as corroborated by other data, such as the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) diagnostics statistics and notifications through the AHDB Significant Diseases Charter, was a challenge in some farms in 2023. The eMB data, which represents approximately 96% of pigs slaughtered in the UK, show increases in antibiotic classes that are used to treat the diseases shown to have greater prevalence in the APHA data.

Mandy Nevel, AHDB’s Head of Animal Health and Welfare, said:

“Using antibiotics where they are needed is considered responsible use. Not only do they safeguard animal welfare but, if used early in disease, they can also reduce the total amount used in a disease outbreak.

“Given the significant reductions in use over the last nine years, it was always anticipated that annual reductions would slow and perhaps even see some years’ use higher than others. The industry had many disease challenges last year and the effects of these were compounded by some vaccine shortages. This is likely to be an ongoing issue as the UK has very limited capacity for animal vaccine production.

“Additionally, the removal of zinc oxide, a product that reduces post-weaning diarrhoea, may mean some producers will need to revert to antibiotics to control diarrhoea. However, it is expected we will not see the full impact of that until 2024 figures are released next year.

“It is important to understand the reasons antibiotics are used. Towards the end of this year, eMB will be rolling out changes to the way it records the reason for treatment, with a broad area of treatment and more specific reason under each area. We hope that this will allow us to better analyse the data to track trends in use.”