Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture and the FAO Promote Antimicrobial Residue-Free Poultry Products

JAKARTADAILY.ID – The Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is promoting the consumption of antimicrobial residues-free poultry products at the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) in Metro city, Lampung, South Sumatra on Thursday, November 24, 2022.

In this event, MoA collaborated with Livestock and Animal Health Services for Lampung Province, Food Security, Agriculture and Fisheries Services for Metro City, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Lampung Layer Farmer Association (PPN).

Director General of Livestock and Animal Health of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nasrullah said that antimicrobial resistance is a threat to public health because it can be disseminate through the food chain.

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The Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with FAO in recent years has tried to persuade various parties to consider and contribute in combating the rate of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as well as promoting safe and high-quality poultry products for the public.

Nasrullah also expressed his appreciation for the achievements of Lampung Province in preventing AMR.

"We appreciate Lampung Province’s strong commitment, including from the associations and poultry farmers in this province to combat antimicrobial resistance, through various efforts to implement the good practices for animal products supply," said Nasrullah.

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 "We need to collaborate with all parties and encourage changes in behavior for the prudent use of antimicrobials and create a society that fond to consume eggs for people to be prosperous and healthy," said Wahdi Siradjuddin, the Mayor of Metro City.

In 2019, 14 poultry farmers in Lampung implemented 3-zone biosecurity on their farms and earned government food hygiene and sanitation certificates, known as Veterinary Control Numbers or NKV.

"We all want our society to be healthy. Eggs especially, are a source of animal protein which is affordable and easy to process and our bodies need sufficient protein to be healthy," said Nasrullah. Thus, Nasrullah also advised that people consume eggs that are safe and of good quality to be consumed.

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At the same occasion, Jenni Soelistiani, Chairperson of the PPN Lampung said, "We hope that in the future, PPN can continue to work closely with the government and FAO to support small to large scale farmers in improving their farm management and implementing good animal husbandry practices based on their capacities and respective resources to produce safe and healthy poultry products.”

As part of this year's WAAW commemoration, a series of events were also held to reaffirm and support Indonesia's commitment to combatting AMR. Commencing this year's WAAW, the MoA together with FAO held a seminar in Makassar on November 19, 2022, involving various stakeholders to act in preventing AMR in poultry farms.