Launched by Novus International, the programme aims to provide a customised solution to dealing with the challenges that arise in the transition.

"Our objective with Project Horizon is to be the expert in managing health through nutrition, addressing heightened health and performance concerns due to the reduction or complete removal of antibiotics," said Jared Hux, senior marketing manager with Novus International.

"We want to reduce the need to use antibiotics by overcoming expected production challenges nutritionally and reducing the likelihood there will be a problem from the start."

In other news, flooding across China has killed thousands of pigs and completely destroyed farms in some of the country's main pig farming regions.

The five provinces hardest hit by flooding produce about one third of the country’s pork, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, reported that the Chinese central government has allocated 250 million yuan ($37.4 million) to disaster relief efforts in the flood-hit province of Hebei.

The Aoxin Tianli Group, a leading producer of breeder pigs, market pigs and black pigs, as well as speciality processed black pig pork products said its pig farms in Wuhan City and some of the independently operated black hog farms in Enshi Prefecture have suffered different levels of damages.

“While we are still reviewing our losses, we expect total losses associated with the floods to be approximately $1.5 million,” said Wocheng Liu, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Aoxin Tianli Group.

In disease news, African Swine Fever (ASF) has been reported on pig farms in Russia, Poland, Ukraine and South Africa.

In Russia, nine farms in the west of the country reported outbreaks. Just one farm was affected in Poland and South Africa and, in Ukraine, six farms reported outbreaks.