By Tiyiselani Precious Miyambu

Progress is being made towards improving the immunity of poultry and pigs while reducing the agriculture industry’s reliance on antibiotics. This was the essence of a guest lecture that the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences recently hosted.

Prof Elijah G Kiarie from the University of Guelph in Canada spoke about the advances in monogastric nutrition, highlighting strategies to improve immunity and reduce reliance on antibiotics in animals such as poultry and pigs.

The lecture, held on 13 November at the Mahikeng Campus, was titled “New frontiers in monogastric nutrition: Understanding the interface of nutrition and immunocompetence”. It focused on how optimised feeding practices in early life can enhance animals’ immune systems and reduce disease risk.

Prof Kiarie stressed the value of prevention over treatment. “Optimising early-life nutrition helps animals develop a stronger immune system, which can reduce disease risk and lower reliance on antibiotics.”

Speaking on the critical issues facing farmers, he explained: “Farmers don’t do farming for fun. They need to earn a living just like us. Imagine losing a flock of broilers right before harvest – it’s a huge loss. The easiest and cheapest solution for farmers when there’s a disease threat is to use antibiotics.”

However, he cautioned that widespread antibiotic use contributes to resistance, which poses global public health risks.

Prof Kiarie acknowledged the challenges farmers face, including rising feed costs and health concerns. He also addressed misinformation in academic research regarding alternatives to antibiotics, such as probiotics.

“There’s a lot of misinformation on alternatives to antibiotics, such as probiotics, published in journals. Most papers show positive outcomes, which can be misleading. A farmer might think there’s 80% chance probiotics will work, but if they see disease, they won’t trust that probiotic again,” he said.

He underscored the need for collaboration between farmers, scientists and policymakers to address antibiotic resistance and promote sustainable practices. “If I came here with antibiotic resistance, it could spread. People travel a lot, and resistance spreads across borders,” Prof Kiarie said, highlighting the global nature of the issue.

Prof Kenny Mnisi, a natural scientist and associate professor in animal science at the NWU, spoke about the importance of the lecture. “Prof Kiarie’s insights into monogastric nutrition mark a pivotal step forward in understanding how targeted nutritional strategies can strengthen immune resilience. His emphasis on reducing antibiotic dependence through early-life feeding programmes offers a sustainable path forward for both animal welfare and global public health.”

Prof Elijah G Kiarie