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Pork producers prepare for new regulations

At the National Pork Forum in Indianapolis, pork producers are discussing new antibiotic use regulations involving FDA guidances and changes in the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD).

The changes, which take effect at the start of next year, mean that any antibiotic that’s important to human medicine—which includes most of the antibiotics used in pork production—can no longer be used to improve growth or nutritional efficiency in pigs.

Dr. Tom Burkgren with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians gave producers three takeaways on the new rules.

“Number one is, this is a big deal. This is a huge deal for the industry on antibiotics,” Burkgren said. “Number two is, we can handle it.  We can manage it. We can work in this regulatory environment and come out the other side better for it.

“And number three, if we don’t do number two, we’re not going to like what comes out the other side.”

Burkgren says producers need to build a “firewall” between the industry and future regulations taking away more antibiotics.

AUDIO: Dr. Tom Burkgren

Dr. Lonnie King, former dean of veterinary medicine at Ohio State University, said the changes are “not about the zero use of antibiotics, it’s about the right use—the judicious use—as we move forward”.

“The finger-pointing era is over,” King said. “It doesn’t help us. It doesn’t help anybody. And we’re at the point now that we can’t turn backwards or continue to do that. So this is about collaboration.  It’s about effective action looking into the future.”

AUDIO: Dr. Lonnie King, introduced by NPPC’s Dr. Liz Wagstrom

The National Pork Board has released results of a new survey which shows 82 percent of pig farmers say they are aware of the upcoming regulatory changes regarding on-farm antibiotic use. And of those surveyed, on average, 71 percent have a defined record-keeping protocol in place that they follow. That number grows to 83 percent among the country’s largest pork operations, or those that market more than 80,000 hogs per year.

“This level of awareness underscores the real and substantive changes occurring today on how pig farmers use antibiotics on the farm,” said National Pork Board President Derrick Sleezer of Cherokee, Iowa. “The high level of awareness of the changing regulation is encouraging, but not surprising. The U.S. pork industry is working hard to educate its pork producers about the upcoming deadline.”