In addition to the federal Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rule taking effect in December 2016, California Gov. Jerry Brown announced in October the state’s decision to enact strict regulation over the livestock industry’s use of antibiotics.
The law (SB 27), which takes effect in 2018, will take the federal ruling a step further by regulating all antibiotics, including those administered through injection. This will require beef producers from all segments of the industry to develop a working relationship with a veterinarian and to obtain a prescription before purchasing antibiotics.
Contrary to some reports, Justin Oldfield, vice president of government relations for the California Cattlemen’s Association, says SB 27 does not discontinue the use of antibiotics for disease prevention; rather, it ensures producers can continue to use antibiotics effectively to treat, control and prevent disease.
“It’s a pretty big step for California,” Oldfield says. “There isn’t another state that has this type of regulation. Our association encourages producers to develop a relationship with a veterinarian and promotes the judicious use of antibiotics. We remained neutral on the bill largely because of the ‘over-the-counter’ piece, which, we made clear all along, we had concerns about because we didn’t want animals to suffer if a producer cannot access medically important antibiotics.”
Oldfield recognized that accessing antibiotics in a timely manner is a concern for producers in rural areas and that not all producers are in close proximity to a large animal veterinarian. For that reason, the association requested that the bill not take effect until 2018, to give producers time to establish a veterinarian relationship as required in the bill.
But not all producers are approaching the new legislation with hesitancy. Jessie Larios, manager of Foster Feed Yards in Brawley, applauds the state’s contribution in solving antibiotic resistance while protecting producers’ ability to provide timely care for their cattle.
“I believe that it is very important that our industry does its part to contribute to solving antibiotic resistance and to ensure judicious use,” Larios says. “I believe in the future, it might prove that we are still great stewards of not only the land, but of the beef industry, and we have always been doing our part in providing the best care for our animals.”
Because Larios has developed a working relationship with multiple veterinarians and works closely with them in administering antibiotics, he believes the transition into the new legislation will be fairly easy for his operation.
“We were ahead of this; we saw this coming, so we did our part to voluntarily implement these practices before they were put into a bill,” he says. “At least in my segment of the industry, I don’t see having to change too much. We already work very closely with a few veterinarians, and all antibiotics are scripted regardless of what they are. But in other parts of the state, there is a big shortage of veterinarians and some cattlemen live an hour or more from the nearest town. So for them to access antibiotics and to develop a relationship with a veterinarian is extremely tough.”
Oldfield also expressed concern for small producers. The producers who raise beef as more of a hobby, he says, “will see the most impact.” As for now, he says the association will work in conjunction with producers to help ensure a smooth and successful transition. 
