3-26 News: Farm bureau speaks out against proposed antibiotics restrictions

“Antibiotics are critically important to the health and welfare of the animals and to the safety of the food produced,” Stallman stated in the letter. Supporters of the legislation claim that farmers give antibiotics healthy animals to compensate for unsanitary and crowded conditions, and promote weight gain, rather than to treat illness.

The AFBF claims that 40 years of antibiotic use in farm animals proves that such use does not pose a public health threat. Stallman says farmers, ranchers and veterinarians in fact use antibiotics carefully to treat, prevent and control diseases in animals, and that opposition of the bills would “protect the professional judgment of veterinarians and livestock producers in providing safe and healthful meat products” for consumers.