How antibiotics are used in pig farming: a mixed-methods study of pig farmers, feed mills and veterinarians in Thailand

Abstract

BackgroundRising global concern about antimicrobial resistance has drawn attention to the use of antibiotics in livestock. Understanding the current usage of antibiotics in these animals is essential for effective interventions on the optimisation of antibiotic use. However, to date few studies have been conducted in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to explore the use of antibiotics and estimate the total amount of antibiotics used in pig production in Thailand.MethodsThis was a mixed-methods study including a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of 84 pig farmers, secondary analysis of data from a survey of 31 feed mills to estimate the amount of antibiotics mixed in pig feed and interviews with five veterinarians involved in the feed mill industry to gain an understanding of medicated feed production.FindingsHalf of the farmers reported using antibiotics for disease prevention. Use was significantly associated with farmers’ experience in raising pigs, farm income, having received advice on animal health and belonging to a farm cooperative. The estimated total amount of active ingredients mixed into medicated feed for pigs for the whole country was 843 tonnes in 2017. Amoxicillin was the most commonly used antibiotic reported by both pig farms and feed mills. The use of Critically Important Antimicrobials including colistin was common, with one-third of farmers reporting their use as oral or as injectable medication, and accounting for nearly two-thirds of antibiotics contained in medicated feed.ConclusionA majority of antibiotics used in Thai pig farms belonged to the category of Critically Important Antimicrobials. Progressive restriction in the use of antibiotics in pigs is recommended through using prescriptions to control the distribution of certain antibiotics. The government should strengthen veterinary services to improve access of farmers to animal health advice and explore alternative interventions.

Antibiotic use in pig farms at different levels of intensification—Farmers’ practices in northeastern Thailand

“…We found that medium-scale farms used antibiotics mainly for disease prevention whereas small-scale farms used them for treatment. Other studies have reported similar findings, where antibiotic use within small-scale extensive livestock production is mostly for therapeutic purposes rather than for disease prevention or growth promotion [31,32]. In the present study, only one-fifth of the small-scale farmers reported to be aware of the disease-preventive effect of antibiotics, compared with almost all medium-scale farmers, which might partly explain the usage differences.…”

Factors Affecting Profitability of Agribusiness Activities: A Case Study of Smallholder Pig Farming in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya

“…The coefficient which was elastic in nature appeared to be a major determinant of profit level of pig enterprise in the study area. This however, implied that a 1% increase in price of veterinary and drugs would increase net revenue of the enterprise by 50% and this was in consonance with the findings of [28] who found that strengthened veterinary service system to quality animal health information and potential alternative interventions to antibiotic use including farm management improvement, vaccines and immunodulators.…”

Understanding Antibiotic Use for Pig Farming in Thailand: A Qualitative Study

“…A study in Lithuania found that there was no correlation between level of knowledge and the use of antibiotics in self-medication in people (27). Our previous study in 84 pig farmers also found that there was no association between the use of antibiotics for prevention and CIA, and farmers' knowledge about antibiotics (17).…”

“…The study was conducted between March 2018 and January 2019 in a province in the central region of Thailand, which accounts for about 20% of annual domestic pig production and hosts different production systems, from smallholders to large agro-industrial conglomerate farms. The study was part of a larger study which included a crosssectional survey of antibiotic use of pig farmers in six sub-districts with the highest number of pig farms in the province (17).…”

“…The pig farmers in this study were recruited from a cross-sectional survey of pig farms about antibiotic use (17). Of 102 farmers contacted in the studied area, 84 farmers agreed to join in the survey.…”