After a Ban on Antibiotics, Feed and Farming Sectors Would Face Great Challenges

By CnAgri2018-08-01 16:31:32 Print In 2015, China begun to ban the use of some antibiotics in feed sector. From 2020, the use of antibiotics in feed would be totally banned and medicated feed additives would be totally exited out of feed sector, but can be used for farming. In order to actually ban antibiotics, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs released Notice on Pilot Activities of a Reduction in Use of Antimicrobial Drug for Livestock during 2018-2021, which specifies the timetable of a reduction and ban in use of antibiotics for farming.    
 
China’s feed sector depends on antibiotics highly, and the use of antibiotics for feed accounts for half of the total output. So, a complete ban on antibiotics also would have huge problems and challenges:
1)   The level of farming needs to be improved in China. There still are many small and medium-sized farm households now. The farming model can’t be changed in a short time, hardware equipment and environment are poor, and the level of supporting software and management is low, how to deal with the problems after a ban on antibiotics should be the first one that is considered; 
 
2) Current research on feed still focuses on nutrition of common feed and there is no research on nutrient regulations after a ban on antibiotics for feed. 
 
3) Some companies have launched antibiotics substitutes in recent years, such as microecologics, antibacterial peptides, organic acid and various extracts, but these singular products can’t totally replace the function of antibiotics, so providing comprehensive proposals of replacement of antibiotics is extremely important, but it is blank now.  
 
 
In view of problems mentioned above, since 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has made experiments on a reduction of antibiotics in 100 pilot farms. Farming and management after a complete ban on antibiotics would be guided through problem finding and experience accumulation.