By Dori Modney with files from Results Driven Agriculture Research

Antimicrobial research undertaken to support livestock producers

Jul 26, 2021 | 4:12 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — It’s an investment that could help improve animal health and antimicrobial stewardship within the beef producing industry. By understanding antimicrobial use (AMU) trends, it’s expected management practices in feedlots would be developed.

Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) is investing $630,060 to support the collection of antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data from Alberta and Canadian cattle feedlots. Additional funding will come from the Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Beef Cattle Research Council.

One of RDAR’s producer-identified research priorities is to invest in projects that align with the concept of OneHealth, which emphasizes the interconnection between animal health, human health, and environmental health. The results of the research project will directly support producers and their veterinarians, as they improve their cattle treatment decisions, reduce costs due to inefficient AMU, and, most importantly, reduce the potential AMR development in their herds.

Led by the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association, the projet will monitor AMU from Alberta/Canadian commercial feedlot cattle operations, and share the results with industry, feedlot producers, veterinarians, and federal/provincial governments. Not only will the research improve herd health, it will also open market opportunities for Alberta’s beef producers, as the European market has seen growing public concerns and EU legislation restricting production practices and antimicrobial use.

Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association Chairman, Greg Schmidt, sees the project as critical for the Alberta cattle industry, which is the largest producer and net exporter of beef in Canada.

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” More than 40% of Canada’s cattle are raised in Alberta, on our farms, on our prairie grasslands, and in our feedlots. The beef industry ships our product worldwide and maintaining our access to global markets is vital to Alberta’s economy and the livelihoods of thousands of Alberta cattle producers.”

Project lead, Dr. Joyce Van Donkersgoed, notes the research will reduce the use and dependency on antimicrobials on our farms and ranches, saving producers money and returning the monetary benefits into our producer’s pockets at the farm gate.

“Alberta veterinarians use solid evidence-based information when managing cattle processing and treatment protocols to ensure the continued efficacy of prescribed antimicrobials. Additional research is always invaluable in making decisions that will benefit both the animals and the producer. Research-backed data helps us to set standards like we have in the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, which guide our industry and ensure we are producing animals in the most ethical, sustainable way possible.”

You can learn more about the project on the RDAR web site.