Chicken Farmers of Canada is extending the reassessment timeframe for preventive Category III elimination.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the postponement of key meetings between important partners at a provincial level. The success of the strategy thus far has been based on taking a responsible approach to ensure animal welfare and sustainability, and these currently remain unresolved. For these reasons, CFC is delaying the 2020 implementation goal.

The strategy remains a key priority for the Canadian chicken sector and further consultations with the industry will be done to ensure that the sector is taking a responsible, pragmatic approach to antimicrobial use reduction.

Quick timeline of the strategy:

• Preventative use of Category I antimicrobials was removed in 2014, followed by the removal of Category II preventive use at the end of 2018.
• The effectiveness of this has been demonstrated by the government’s Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS) surveillance program.
• A goal has been set to further reduce antimicrobial use (AMU) by eliminating preventive Category III use, contingent on a re-assessment of industry’s readiness for such a change.
• A single antibiotic, Bacitracin, will be impacted by this, as it is the only Category III antimicrobial used preventively in chicken production.
• Following an assessment that took place throughout 2019, Chicken Farmers of Canada has reaffirmed its commitment to its Antimicrobial Use Strategy and to eliminating the preventive use of Category I, II, and III antibiotics.

CFC’s strategy continues to provide a sustainable means of meeting consumer expectations, protecting the health and welfare of birds, and preserving effective treatment options.