In September the third general meeting and the third World Congress of Simmental breeders take place in Venice/Italy. The committee and the teams also meet. The Association has 18 full members and 103 associate members. 94.000 breeders in the 18 member countries breed 16 million Simmental cattle. The breeding of polled Simmental cattle shows the first timid success.
Italian lecturers report on scientific performance testing with various kinds of Fleckvieh as well as with Fleckvieh crossbred with various beef and milk breeds. The qualities of Simmental cattle are regarded as positive.
Serenissima, the historical and cultural doge town at the Adriatic shore, makes the participants in the congress go back in time. A Fleckvieh show in the colonnade yard of the famous Villa Manin in Passariano in Friuli as well as several visits to different farms demonstrate the suitability of Italian Fleckvieh for dual proposal.
In Italy Fleckvieh has been bred since the turn of the century.
The national Association of Italian Fleckvieh breeders have existed now for 20 years.
In September a committee meeting, which lasts several days and in which delegates from 14 member countries take part, is held in Munich/Germany. The main point of the talks is the suitability of Simmental Fleckvieh for dual proposal. European, .American and African lecturers deal with the following topic: "The relation between milk and meat in Simmental Fleckvieh." The importance of the World Simmental Federation, which is promoting the breed worldwide, is particularly emphasized. The stock of Simmental cattle reaches 40 million in the whole world, 24 million of which are bred in countries that are not part of the Federation.
In June/July the fourth general meeting and the fourth World Simmental-Fleckvieh Congress, in which 15 member countries take part, take place in Edinburgh/Scotland. Current issues in the field of Fleckvieh breeding are discussed in the working teams, in the committee and in the plenum.
Among the topics are embryo transplantation as well as cloning and the importance of Fleckvieh cattle for the production of beef. The outcome of scientific research gives proof of the remarkable qualities of Simmental cattle that are relevant also economically. The suitability of Simmental cattle for being crossbred with beef cattle, especially as end-sire-breed, is emphasized.
The attention of the participants is directed to cattle shows. It is proved very impressively that even if shows are not the only decisive factor in cattle breeding, they are nonetheless of prime importance, especially as far as the promotion of the breed is concerned. Resume: The breeder is only interested in cattle that maintain him and not vice versa.
The meeting ends with a visit to the world famous Royal Show in which splendid specimen of Simmental cattle is presented among others.
Thirteen years have passed now since the first Simmental cattle were brought to Great Britain in 1969.
As agreed, the World Simmental Federation organizes no official events. Ten years have passed since the first Simmental animal was taken to Australia on l0th November 1973.
In April the teams and the committee meet in Sydney/Australia. The general meeting as well as the fifth World Simmental-Fleckvieh Congress, in which 12 of the 19 member countries participate, are held afterwards.
At the moment Australia has 700 herd book breeders and 80.000 registered Simmental breeding cattle. Australian beef producers have come upon Fleckvieh because market conditions now require cattle that are less fat and that have a better growth capacity and a heavier dressed weight.
These qualities are found in Simmental cattle.
The degree of selection is, among other things, mentioned in numerous specialist lectures. This can vary depending on whether it is determined by nature or influenced by man. It is emphasized that changes caused by man can be disadvantageous. The participants in the congress can convince themselves of the fact that cattle are bred in Australia almost exclusively in order to exploit the grassland and to improve the roughage. Therefore it is necessary that the cattle exploit the roughage to a considerable extent, which is the case with Simmental Fleckvieh.
There are no official events by the World Simmental Federation.
At the second German Fleckvieh Show in Ulm, the bull "Horror", which becomes famous afterwards, is the winner of his category.
In April organizational matters are settled in a short meeting, which is held in Munich/Germany.
In November the teams and the committee meet in Buenos Aires/Argentina where also the sixth general meeting and the World Simmental-Fleckvieh Congress take place. 12 of the 19 member countries participate in these events. The main issue of the talks is the importance of Simmental Fleckvieh for the South American states of Argentina, Paraguay' and Uruguay'. The topic is illustrated especially from the point of view of the world market of beef. New trends in the consumer habits of some countries are mentioned.
Production costs are analyzed very extensively.
The pastures of the pampas in Argentina are very suitable for cattle breeding. Thanks to the favorite climate and to the soil, the pastures can be exploited almost all the year round so that not much additional feeding is necessary.
Especially' the European participants in the congress realize the immense size of the farms and of the herds by means of instructive specialist excursions.
Six and a half decades have passed now since the first Simmental Fleckvieh was brought to Argentina in 1922.
In October the teams and the committee meet in Stuttgart/Germany; delegates from 10 countries are present. They discuss financial issues, the development of the breed, its promotion and breeding technologies. The "system of average dissatisfaction", as the head of the responsible team calls it, is decided to be maintained in order to finance the Federation. According to this system the membership fees are calculated on the basis of the number of active breeders in each member country.
The current issue of somatotropin is raised. The majority of the congress members are against the admission of this substance. The linear description of the conformation as well as M.O.E. T. and some other things are discussed. The linear description meets with a broad consensus, M.O.E. T., however, does not. Nevertheless, it is agreed that - as science and research advance - relevant experiments of this kind will not be disregarded.
The European Association of Fleckvieh Breeders commemorates its 25th anniversary.
In September the seventh general meeting and the World Simmental-Fleckvieh Congress, in which
18 member countries and 8 host countries participate, take place in Munich/Germany. A written message of greeting has arrived from China. The teams and the committee a1so meet. The World Simmental federation has now 20 full members (countries), 212 associate members and 4 honorary members. 38 breeding communities or single person breeders are registered in the "Golden Book of particular merits".
Specia1ist lectures reveal the fact that the goa1 of Simmental Fleckvieh breeding in Germany and in the remaining countries of the Continent remains the dual proposal of the cattle. In Germany
27.000 fleckvieh breeding farmers with more than 590.000 herd book cows work on the herd book breeding at the moment. These cows yield an average of 5 095 kg of milk with 3,99 % of fat and 3,39 % of proteins.
At performa1nce testing stations, young bulls increase on average 1 390g in weight per day between the 112th and the 420th day. They weight 591kg; their withers reaches 129,7cm, their rump reaches 134.2cm and their chest width is 197.6cm.
A genetically hornless fleckvieh herd and genetically hornless AI-bulls are shown among others. The association of Simmental breeders of the USA "ASA" celebrate its 20th anniversary.
In June the four teams, namely the one for "finance and membership", the one for "the development of the breed ands its promotion", the one for "breeding technology and the one for "cross-breeding with Simmental Fleckvieh" meet in Salzburg/Austria. The committee meets as well. Correspondents from various countries and continents report on their experience with Simmental Fleckvieh. The host country Austria announces that its elite cows yield an average of 5 211 kg of milk with 4,19% of fat and 3,31% of proteins. China reports that long after the first import of Fleckvieh cattle in 1898. It has recent1y been gaining importance again as a breed suitable for dual proposal in climatically very different regions. The Russian lecturer reports on top performances of 12.000 to 14.000kg of milk. The visitors of the central bull show in Ried i. I. can convince themselves of the muscles and of the portliness of Fleckvieh cattle. The French Montbeliarde Breeders celebrate the l00th anniversary of their herd book.