Antibiotics Will Be Completely Banned In Feed In 2020, And Plant Extracts Have a Promising Future

It is reported that at the recent China Feed Development Forum, Feng Zhongwu, director of the Veterinary Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, stated that all medical feed additives will be withdrawn in 2020. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced a notice on the pilot work of reducing the use of veterinary antibacterial drugs from 2018 to 2021, clarifying the timetable for reducing the use of antibiotics and restricting the use of antibiotics at the breeding end, and replacing the product plant extract feed additive The prospects are impressive. What kind of impact will it bring to the feed industry and breeding industry?

Recently, according to reports, at the China Feed Development Forum, Feng Zhongwu, director of the Veterinary Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said that in recent years, the qualified rate of veterinary drug product quality supervision and sampling inspection in my country has continued to increase, from 93.37% in 2013 to 97.46% in 2017. The pass rate of veterinary drug residue monitoring in livestock and poultry products continues to be high, and the passing rate of veterinary drug residue sampling inspections in the past five years has been around 99.7%. However, the antimicrobial resistance of animal-derived bacteria is severe, and the resistance of antimicrobials shared by humans and animals has increased, threatening human medical resources; the resistance of animal-specific antimicrobials has increased year by year, affecting food safety and public health safety.

Medicinal feed additives are veterinary drugs that can be added to feed, and their essence is still veterinary drugs. At present, medicinal feed additives include some plant extracts in addition to antibacterial drugs, which are widely used: feed lutein, feed curcumin, and astragalus polysaccharides.

According to industry analysts, the type and name of "medicated feed additives" may no longer be retained in the types of additives. Antibacterial drug feed additives are included in the management of veterinary drugs and are no longer allowed to be added to feed; while plant extracts may be included in the category of feed additives and can still be used in feed.

Problems that may be caused by a comprehensive "feed ban on antibiotics"

According to Professor Zhang Yongliang from South China Agricultural University in an interview some time ago, although “reduction of antibiotics/replacement of antibiotics” in animal husbandry is the general trend, at the current stage, if “prohibition of antibiotics in feed” is fully implemented, he believes that it may cause the following problem:

First, the production level of the breeding industry will decline, and the cost of breeding will increase significantly;

Second, the absence of antibiotics in feed may result in a large increase in the therapeutic antibiotics used at the breeding site, and the total amount of antibiotics used in the animal husbandry industry may not decrease in the initial stage of "feed against resistance".

Therefore, at this stage, on the one hand, we should explore and reserve technologies related to "reduction of antibiotics/replacement of antibiotics" to prepare for the comprehensive "ban on antibiotics in feed"; on the other hand, we should use antibiotics rationally and scientifically in accordance with laws and regulations. Severely crack down on the abuse of antibiotics, thereby reducing the harm caused by the abuse of antibiotics.

What is the impact of banning antibiotics on the breeding industry?

The "ban on antibiotics" has entered the countdown. This policy will affect these six major areas of the industry:

1. The survival of some enterprises

If the addition of "medicinal feed additives" to feed is no longer allowed in 2020, it means that this part of the business of the manufacturer will be unsustainable.

2. Design of feed products

In the past, many formulators were keen to study anti-diarrhea drugs and compatibility. From now on, everyone's product design ideas will have a lot of changes.

3. "Alternative antibiotics" products usher in historical opportunities

Many companies have long been aware of the huge business opportunities that policies restrict the use of antibiotics, and started their layout early (for example, Biye Technology has been committed to researching and developing non-resistant breeding biological feed formulation technology for many years).

Today, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has given a timetable for banning, limiting and reducing antibiotics. Then, the cost issue is not the biggest issue, and there will be greater breakthroughs due to policies.

4. The practice of veterinary medicine system will be accelerated

It is relatively easy to ban antibiotics in feed, but it is not so easy to ban and restrict antibiotics at the breeding end. Therefore, starting from this year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will conduct trials to reduce resistance in 100 farms every year. It is expected to accumulate experience in this way. If only banning resistance in the feed and not controlling it at the breeding end, it actually means that a very big hole has been opened. Therefore, it is urgent to accelerate the implementation of the veterinary practice system. Only in this way can the abuse of antibiotics be controlled.

5. Farms pay more attention to hardware investment in the environment

At present, the cost of using antibiotics is low, but the threat to human health is also great. Therefore, there is a high demand for banning and restricting antibiotics from outside the industry, and the industry is mainly promoted by companies that do substitutes. In fact, China’s aquaculture industry is indeed suffering from the disease, and China has become the most complicated place for animal diseases in the world. With the improvement of breeding concepts and policy restrictions on antibiotics, the two forces will surely push the farms to increase their investment in environmental hardware.

6. "Antibiotic-free vegetarian meat" has become a new selling point in marketing

First, the state is promoting the transformation of economic momentum and supply-side reforms; second, the consumer demand is upgraded; third, the state restricts the use of antibiotics; fourth, companies want to make more profits through product upgrades.

When these four factors come together at such a historical moment, they will definitely focus on concepts such as "antibiotic-free meat" and "ecological meat". At present, the production capacity of China's aquaculture industry is growing rapidly, and the current situation of oversupply affects the profitability of the feed industry and the aquaculture industry. Many powerful companies are focusing on the branded meat field, hoping to obtain premium opportunities by selling differentiated meat products. Therefore, "antibiotic-free meat" is bound to become the next new marketing point.