Animal husbandry ‘can be just as profitable using antibiotic-free feed’

Animal husbandry can be just as profitable with the use of algae and other alternative feeds and the exclusion of antibiotic growth promoters in feed, say leading scientists.

Aidan Connolly, Alltech vice-president and professor at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, says that, despite evidence to the contrary, many producers still wonder if truly antibiotic-free production is possible.

“The last 20 years have clearly shown us that antimicrobial resistance is a reality, and that even if much of this relates to human decisions, our industry is under the microscope,” said Mr Connolly, one of the principal speakers at Glimpse 2020, the annual Alltech International Symposium in Lexington, Kentucky, US, from May 19 to May 22.