Public health experts are concerned about the diminishing efficacy of antibiotics. Some have called for a ban on growth-promoting antibiotics in animal agriculture. This study identifies the contribution of growth-promoting antibiotics in the grower/finisher phase of U.S. pork production. With National Animal Health Monitoring System swine data, relationships are estimated between growth-promoting antibiotic use and productivity. Results indicate improvements in average daily gain (0.5%), feed conversion ratio (1.1%), and mortality rate (reduced 0.22 percentage points); these productivity improvements translate into a profitability gain of $0.59 per pig marketed, or an improvement of 9% in net profits associated with growth promotion antibiotics.

We combine econometric and financial analyses of the NAHMS 2000 Swine Surveydata to examine whether evidence exists for reducing risk by usingantibiotics for growth promotion (AGP) in the U.S. swine industry. Astochastic dominance analysis of alternative lengths of time (days) of AGPapplication reveals that AGP used in the range of 65–75 days is preferred byrisk-averse producers. Risk is reduced and profits are increased from use ofAGP. The combined impacts of increased average daily gain and decreasedvariability in pig live weight increase producer profits by $2.99 per pigmarketed.