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Reading Time: < 1 minute New Zealand keeps making progress in the fight against anti-microbial resistance. Vincent Arbuckle, New Zealand Food Safety’s deputy director-general, said sales of veterinary and horticultural antibiotics have fallen for the seventh consecutive year. The latest antibiotics sales figures for plants and animals released this week in the New Zealand Food Safety’s annual Antibiotic Agricultural Compound Sales Analysis report are a clear sign that antibiotics are being more carefully used, Arbuckle said. The report says total antibiotic sales quantities decreased by 1692kg (4%) to 37,858kg in 2024, down from 39,549kg in 2023. This marked the seventh consecutive year of decreases, to a level that is 47% below the total reported in 2017. Lower sales quantities were reported for eight of the 18 classes of antibiotics evaluated, with a combined reduction of 3357 kg from 2023, the report said. “The falling sales are a result of a concerted effort by veterinarians, farmers, industry and New Zealand Food Safety to ensure these life-saving medicines are used appropriately so they work as intended.” The report evaluated 18 classes of antibiotics sold during 2024 for use for farm animals, pets and horticulture. As part of ongoing work to ensure the continued effectiveness of antibiotics, New Zealand Food Safety is reviewing the regulatory oversight of antibiotics used on plants and animals. New Zealand Food Safety is also working with the Ministry of Health and international regulators in an effort to manage anti-microbial resistance, Arbuckle said.
