Belgium: Decrease in antibiotic use in pigs
In 2020, antibiotic use decreased for swine and remained the same in cattle, but increased in chickens.
The results of the latest Amcra Barometer, from the first quarter of 2019 ('19 -Q1) to the fourth quarter of 2020 ('20 -Q4), confirm previous trends indicating an increase in antibiotic use in animal species registered in Sanitel-Med.
Antibiotic use is high in swine production, totaling 101.7 tons, although its use in 2020 has slightly decreased compared to 2019 (102.9 t). In 2020, 76.1% of pig farms used antibiotics.
The still high use of colistin and zinc oxide in pigs is a cause for concern. According to Amcra data, 23.5% of pig farms use colistin, although this is down slightly from the 26.2% from the year prior. Regarding zinc oxide, 9.3% of all farms still used this compound in 2020, 3% less than in 2019.
Evolution of ZnO and colistin use in Belgian pig farms (2019-2020).