Denmark measures 3.2% drop in pig antibiotics use from 2009 numbers

Denmark’s VSP Knowledge Centre for Pig Production reports that total antimicrobial use on Danish pigs in 2010 dropped by 3.2% from the previous year.
There was a significant difference between the first and second half of 2010, with the usage of antibiotics falling by 14.2% in the period from July to December compared with January to June. VSP director Nicolaj Nørgaard said that the sharp downward trend was a great achievement for the country's veterinarians and pig producers. It had also shown that the country’s Yellow Card system of warning individual farms and their advisers about instances of excessive use was working as intended.
To ensure a continued decline in the application of antibiotics, VSP has launched a new four-year project aimed at generating new knowledge about treatments and ways to ensure better health in pigs without compromising animal welfare.