eMB-Pigs uptake reaches 70% mark

Antibiotic data representing 70% of 2016 English pig slaughterings has now been loaded onto the eMB-Pigs database, a significant milestone for the industry.

The latest figures from AHDB Pork showed, cumulatively, in just over a year since the online database's launch, data representing nearly 27 million pigs had been uploaded by mid-June. This included 13m finishers, 13m weaners and approximately 370,000 breeding animals. Data had been submitted for 1,957 sites by 439 users.

This represented 67% of pigs slaughtered in 2015 and 70% of pigs slaughtered in 2016. Numbers will continue to rise as more submissions in the system are processed, while, from this autumn entering the data will be compulsory under the Red Tractor pork scheme, which covers 90% of UK pig production.

The 70% figure has always been a target for the industry as this is the level the Veterinary Medicines Directorate said was needed to produce statistically robust estimates of industry-wide usage. Although it has taken slightly longer than hoped for, getting to this mark represents a significant collective effort by the industry. 

The data uploaded onto eMB-Pigs has been used to estimate 2015 industry usage, a figure that will form the baseline for five year reduction targets currently being negotiated between Government and industry. The targets will be announced in October.

Recording antibiotic usage is one of the cornerstones of the NPA's Antibiotic Stewardship Programme, published last May.