The UK Soil Association is calling for a review of the government's strategy to curb the use of antibiotics in farm animal production, after their use showed rapid growth for the second year running. A 33% rise in the use of growth-promoting antibiotics in 2003 is of particular concern as is the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from farm animals to people, according to the association.

Whilst only three drugs – avilamycin, flavomycin and monensin – remain licensed for growth promotion, their use increased from 27 tonnes in 2002 to 36 tonnes in 2003. The core of the problem, according to SA, is the intensive production systems farmers are locked into.

The UK government began developing a strategy to reduce the use of antibiotics and other similar drugs on farms in 1999. It is, however, heavily reliant on a voluntary industry initiative - the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA). AS wants to see an urgent review of the strategy and believes such an important issue should not be left to industry initiatives and market forces.

In 1999 the total use of antibiotic growth promoters and therapeutic antibiotics in food producing animals was 410 tonnes and rose to 439 tonnes by 2003. However, the total weight of animals slaughtered for meat production fell from 5.756 million tonnes to 5.294 million tonnes, making intensive farming less efficient in the use of antibiotics now than it was in 1999.

The association also believes the increasing use of growth-promoting antibiotics suggests that the intensive pig and poultry industries will be ill-prepared for the EU-wide ban on the use of all growth-promoting antibiotics, scheduled for January 1, 2006.

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