Do the ban on use of anti-microbial growth promoter impact on technical change and the efficiency of slaughter-pig production

This study aims at investigating the effects of the ban on the use of anti-microbial growth promoters in the production of “Finishing Pigs” for slaughter. We investigate if the ban on the use of anti-microbial growth promoters has for specialised pig-producers altered the productivity of inputs, technical change and the efficiency of production. This paper complements an earlier paper that investigated the impact of the ban on weaned-pig produc-tion. Background: The study is motivated by the fact that antimicrobial growth promoters have been known world wide to protect livestock from bacteria infections, and in effect stimu-lated the utilization of feedstuff and reduced the mortality rate. However, fears for increas-ing bacteria resistance with subsequent health hazards for humans and livestock has lead to societal debates about the pros and cons of its use in livestock production. Antibiotic–resistance infectious diseases increase health care costs associated with treatment expenses and possible multi-drug resistance infections. The Danish government and the pig industry in recognition of the negative effects associated with reduced efficacy of antibiotic drugs in the future started a gradual determination of the use of growth promoters in 1995, which re-sulted in a total ban in 2000. EU as a follow-up to the Danish action also initiated a ban on the use of growth promoters that are known to contribute to human health hazard. In the US the discussion of a ban is an ongoing subject of debate. For US producers, a study by Hayes et al. (2001), suggested that a ban would increase production costs and subsequently lead to an increase in the retail price of pork. In another US study, Wade and Barkley (1992) sug-gested that with a ban both producers and consumers surplus will increase. However, these studies are based on estimated anticipated results, which may not have very strong desire-to-change impact on the perception and the attitude of producers who are the users of growth promoters.