MONHEIM, Germany, November 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer Animal
Health today outlined their vision for the future of cattle
production at the 26th World Buiatrics Congress in Santiago, Chile. At the scientific symposium,
Bayer confirmed their commitment to transforming livestock
production through bringing together world cattle industry thought
leaders alongside their expert scientists. Presentations
demonstrated how new approaches to livestock production will help
veterinarians and producers meet the demands of the rapidly
changing global market.
After the negative impact of the global financial crisis on the
meat industry in 2009, world experts presenting at the 3rd
International Bayer Cattle Symposium gave hope to producers
worldwide, covering subjects from production trends over the next
40 years to the transformative power of effective parasite and
nutrient management systems.
Dr Osler Desouzart, OD Consulting
Brazil and a member of the Advisory Board of the World Agricultural
Forum, presented predictions for global population growth and
consumption over the next 40 years. His research concluded that the
dramatic increase in population growth will drive continued growth
in meat consumption. Dr Desouzart predicts that "looking towards
2050, the meat consumption could possibly double compared to
2008."
According to Dr Desouzart, adapting to the changing demands will
be imperative if the meat industry is to meet the new markets'
needs, as well as keeping pace with demand from traditional
markets. Furthermore, consumer attitudes in the developed world are
changing. "Today's consumers want to know what they eat, where does
it come from, how it was produced. They want assurances that it is
safe for their health as well as for the environment. Meat should
come from animals that are well cared for and are healthy. Animal
health is no longer a subject solely for veterinarians, it has
become a core value for the consumer", concluded Dr Desouzart.
This new consciousness in meat consumption was highlighted in a
presentation by Jerome Lyman,
Corporate Vice President of Global Quality Systems, McDonalds, US.
"Our customers value the place of beef in their diet; however, they
are also expressing concerns about issues such as zoonoses and the
production methods used in the food chain. McDonalds has long been
at the forefront of efforts to rationalise anti-infective use and
we are seeing these attitudes increasingly taking hold across the
food industry. Cattle producers need to be able to demonstrate that
their products meet the highest safety standards to match the
consumers' drive to quality", said Mr Lyman.
The central role of animal health in successful livestock
production was also reflected in the presentations of Drs
Nicholas Jonsson of the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and Marcelo
Molento of the Universidade Federal do Parana, Brazil, who discussed the need for new
approaches to parasite control. Veterinarians should understand the
needs of producers regarding ectoparasite control and work with
them focussing their specific needs. Dr Jonsson said, "All too
often cattle producers are not looking to veterinarians when it
comes to parasite control programmes, leading to suboptimal
results. This is a waste of time and money and undermines the
welfare of their livestock. Veterinarians should help their clients
and work with them on tailored programmes that give optimal,
cost-effective control", said Dr Jonsson. Dr Molento focused on the
impact of technology transfer to improve endoparasite control in
cattle production worldwide. "A clear example of the potential
impact comes from scientific literature where effective
endoparasite control can be seen with Eimeria spp. infection in
cattle. These parasites cause considerable economic damage to the
cattle industry. Yet we know that preventative treatment with
toltrazuril in calves prevents disease and leads to significant
increases in weight gain in both dairy and beef cattle", said Dr
Molento.
Jim Gerardot, Head of Global
Marketing - Food Animal Products, Bayer Animal Health, said, "Bayer
Animal Health continues to invest in research. With this knowledge,
we are able to offer our customers the best possible solutions to
meet their needs and provide education to ensure they can maximise
the benefits. The research presented at WBC is another example of
our global commitment to doing all we can to support the continuing
transformation of livestock production to ensure a bright future
for all our customers."
About Bayer HealthCare AG
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in
the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer
HealthCare AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of about
EUR 15.9 billion (2009), is one of
the world's leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and
medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global
activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and
Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover
and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health
worldwide. Find more information at
http://www.bayerhealthcare.com
With a turnover of EUR 977 million
(2009) Bayer HealthCare's Animal Health Division is one of the
world's leading manufacturers of veterinary drugs. The division
manufactures and markets more than 100 different veterinary drugs
and care products for livestock and companion animals.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on
current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management.
Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
could lead to material differences between the actual future
results, financial situation, development or performance of the
company and the estimates given here. These factors include those
discussed in our annual and interim reports to the Frankfurt Stock
Exchange and in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). The company assumes
no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements
or to confirm them to future events or developments.
Contact:
Kathrin Statz
+49-2173-38-4019
kathrin.statz@bayerhealthcare.com