Antibiotic use in Dutch livestock continues to decline

LTO compares antibiotic use data with sales data annually. This data shows that many livestock producers and veterinarians are making progress in their efforts to structurally reduce antibiotic use. The focus in the coming years will continue to be on reducing antibiotic use to reduce the likelihood of resistant bacteria developing and spreading.

In the rabbit, pig and broiler sectors, the sector action plans have produced positive results. In 2022, antibiotic use in these sectors decreased by 32.4%, 23.8% and 7.6%, and there were fewer companies with structurally high levels of use.

The cattle sector has seen a stable and low pattern of antibiotic use since 2014. Antibiotic use in the turkey and calf sectors has decreased by 4.0% and 5.6%, respectively, compared to use in 2021.

“We are pleased to see that our commitments in various sectors have been successful,” said Jeanette van de Ven, portfolio owner of Healthy Animals. “The Netherlands is at the forefront of Europe when it comes to careful policy and management of antibiotic use, and we can be proud of that.”

Antibiotic sales fell by 22.9% in 2022 compared to 2021. The decline from the government's 2009 target is now 77.4%.