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Summary
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For investigation of the status of animal drug use in poultry farms and their related understanding of traceability system, ten poultry farms with on-site investigation and 51 with mailing questionnaire investigation, are sampled for this study in 2007. In terms of understanding traceability system extended by agricultural sector, the results indicate that 78.5% of farms are still classified into the group of not well understanding, even all the sampled poultry producers already knowing the term, and this indicates that more intensive extension will be needed for implementing of traceability adoption in poultry products. The information sources of poultry producers about traceability come mostly both from public mass media, representing 45.5% of responding farms, and from agricultural government sector, representing 50.0%. Traceability adoption is generally recognized to be implemented in poultry products by 93.0% of poultry producers, and it is realized as well that the adoption of traceability system firmly supporting food safety in an effective way. In high proportion of responding farms, they are clearly understanding that traceability system provides positive benefits to such as: management of animal drug use, animal disease control and prevention, tracing back of food accidents, increase of consumer product confidence and product market prices. On the contrary, as the aspect whether traceability adoption lowering production cost and upgrading product quality concurrently, a 26.7% responding farms hold the opposite opinion, and this indicates that implementation cost is one of key factors affecting traceability adoption. Regarding to animal drug use in poultry farms investigated, most of responding farms express that they use animal drugs in a way according to acts and regulations, but they also emphasize that law enforcement activities are important to prevent producers from illegal use of animal drugs. Some of measures of law enforcement are recognized as the effective ways for lowering drug residue risk, which includ such as: strict penalty of violators of illegal drug use and residual cases and tracing back to origins of drug suppliers. In general, this report addresses current status of poultry farms’ animal drug use related to poultry product traceability, and some suggestions being made are expected for reference to those who involve in plan implementation of traceability system in Taiwan poultry industry.
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