To slow the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, the Food and Drug Administration is tightening controls on livestock antibiotics. By the end of 2016, they must be veterinarian prescribed and only for disease -- no more growth enhancement.
The national Farm Foundation says its recent summit on the changes revealed major agribusinesses with resources including their own veterinary teams are geared for the change. But, so with many family farms.
Foundation President Neil Conklin says an information campaign will help.
“People within agriculture, whether its veterinarians, feed companies, farmers and ranchers, all understand that this is something we need to do both for human and animal health.”
Conklin says it is especially important to get the word out in Ohio where there are a lot of family farms and local livestock producers. |