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A decade after the launch of the eMB (electronic Medicines Book), new figures show just how far the UK pig industry has come in the responsible use of antibiotics, and the role sustained, coordinated action has played in getting there.
Total antibiotic use fell to 77.2 mg/PCU in 2025, down 10% on the previous year and now 72% lower than in 2015, when reporting through eMB first began. Taken together, the results show the scale of long-term change that has taken place across the sector.
What began as a response to growing concern around antimicrobial resistance has developed into an established, industry-wide approach centred on prevention.
Over the past 10 years, producers and vets have steadily shifted focus towards improving herd health, tightening biosecurity and refining management practices so that antibiotics are needed less often in the first place.
Now capturing data from most (>94%) of UK pig production, it has provided a consistent, shared picture of antibiotic use across the sector. That visibility has enabled producers and vets to benchmark performance, identify where change is needed and track progress over time – turning data into practical decisions on farm.
The withdrawal of zinc oxide in 2022, widely used to manage post-weaning diarrhoea, raised concerns that antibiotic use could rise again. While there was a small short-term increase, usage never returned to previous levels and has since fallen again, demonstrating the strength of the systems now in place.
July 6, 2026/ AHDB/ United Kingdom.
https://ahdb.org.uk
