The Swiss association of fleckvieh Breeders, which was founded in Bern on 22nd July 1890 by representatives of ten co-operatives from four cantons, celebrates its 100th anniversary. For this reason the eighth general meeting and the World Simmental-Fleckvieh Congress are held in Lausanne. Naturally the teams and the committee also meet. The 20 member states as well as five further countries, which become new members of the Federation, are present. The team for "cross-breeding with Fleckvieh" is changed into the one for "beef production".
In Switzerland 17.600 HB-breeders are breeding 275.000 herd book cattle. The breeding goal is at least an average of five lactations with 6.000kg of milk with 4% of fat and 3% of proteins as well as an increase of 1.3kg in weight for bulls with a medium feeding intensity. In Switzerland red-holstein has been crossbred with Fleckvieh cattle since 1968. Magnificent cattle shows as well as a big parade of breeders and cattle, which starts at the seat of government in Bern, are very impressive.
The Fleckvieh Breeders Association of Niederbayern/Landshut is 90 years old.
In April the teams and the committee meet again in Salzburg/Austria. Zagreb/Yugoslavia was originally intended as a meeting place.
The main issue of the discussions is the linear description. It is emphasized that this system is successfully used in Europe and it is agreed that the non-European countries will check its possible application. In the field of publicity the possibility of obtaining videos and Sponsoring is discussed. The Fleckvieh Breeding Co-operative of Tölz/Bavaria celebrates its100th anniversary and the Fleckvieh Breeding Association of Weilheim/Bavaria its 90th anniversary.
In October the ninth general meeting and the World Simmental Fleckvieh Congress, to which 23 member countries send their delegations, take place in Dallas/Texas (USA). The teams and the committee also meet.
The committee announces that there are 105 862 active Simmental Fleckvieh breeders with more than 18 million Simmental cattle in the 25 member countries of the Federation. Further 23 million cattle are bred in non-member states.
Four new states are admitted to the Federation. Spanish becomes the fourth official language of the World Federation.
Specialist lectures and excursions provide the participants in the congress with information about the situation of American Fleckvieh breeding. Simmental Fleckvieh first came to the USA in 1887, but without success. The first pure-breed Simmental Fleckvieh bull was taken from Canada to Texas in 1970. At the moment more than 2500c Simmental bulls are registered in the American list of bulls. Simmental Fleckvieh has been gaining much importance in cross-breeding (Simbrah). The head of the World Simmental Federation is able to introduce the World Bank in Washington to Fleckvieh cattle.
In October the teams and the committee meet in Aberdeen/Scotland. Its contact with the different member states as well as with other fleckvieh breeding countries is reported on. There are differences between the member countries concerning the admittance of Simmental fleckvieh to national herd books. The reasons for the differences are the different ways in which the cattle are used, which is further proof of their perfect adaptability to different geographical conditions.
An international conversion of breeding indexes is worked on.
SWA-Namibia celebrates "100th years of advancing Simmental breeding in extreme surroundings and under extreme weather conditions".
In May the teams and the committee meet in Vienna/ Austria where also the tenth general meeting and the World Simmental-Fleckvieh Congress are held. The great importance of dual proposal cattle for farming that is based on family business is emphasized. As far as breeding is concerned, the importance of collaboration between science and practice is stressed. The improvement of the quality of meat and milk is still the aim of the Federation. There are experiments on the localization of the marbling gene as well as initiatives for a collaboration between Interbul1 and World Simmental Fleckvieh breeding in order to be able to convert breeding indexes for milk and meat. As the economic success of the cattle production depends to a considerable extent on the consumer, it is necessary to focus mainly on the applied production process when forming a public opinion.
The host country Austria treats the numerous participants in the congress, coming from 25 of the 29 member states to cultural, breeding and culinary gems.
In October the teams and the committee meet in Buenos Aires/Argentina. Good news are announced concerning the development of Fleckvieh breeding in China, Algeria, the Ukraine, Russia, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Bulgaria. The foundation of a newspaper of the World Simmental Fleckvieh is discussed.
Visits are paid to Fleckvieh cattle breeders in Argentina and Uruguay.
The British Simmental Association celebrates its 25th anniversary.
In August/September the teams, the committee, the eleventh general meeting and the World Congress of Simmental Fleckvieh breeders gather in Pretoria/South Africa. It is already the second time that this country organizes this congress. Impressive specialist lectures as well as a great cattle show demonstrate again the perfect suitability of Simmental Fleckvieh for exploiting the steppe. The suitability of Fleckvieh for crossbreeding with Brahman being an ideal combination.
The assessment of Simmental Fleckvieh culminates in the following two statements:
"You can produce milk without meat but you cannot produce meat without milk."
"During the worldwide expansion of the Simmental we have seen that the Simmental could meet the very definite norms and expectations which the commercial breeders determined without the breed losing its identity.
Black, hornless Simmental are just as much part of the genetic variation within the more than forty million strong breed as are the animals in the country of origin which have been crossed with Redholstein". These two statements particularly emphasize the qualities of the Simmental Fleckvieh breed.
The first number of the "Simmental World News" is published by' the World Simmental Federation.
The Tyrolean Fleckvieh Breeders Association/ Austria and the Fleckvieh Breeders Association of Pfaffenhofen/Bavaria celebrate their 90th anniversary. The Spanish Simmental Fleckvieh Association was founded 25 years ago.
In April the teams and the committee meet in Thun/Switzerland.
The setting up of a Homepage of the World Simmental Federation is discussed. A second number of the "Simmental World News" will not be edited for financial reasons. The comparability' of breeding results of the quality of meat is discussed. As far as pedigree is concerned, it is announced that blood-typing will be replaced by the DNA-technology. The adoption of an all-round breeding index including the partial indexes for milk, constituents, meat, fitness etc. increases the competitiveness of Simmental Fleckvieh to other breeds.
The Swabian Fleckvieh breeding Association Donauworth/Bavaria celebrates its 100th anniversary.
In September the teams and the committee meet in Uberlandia/Brazil. Whereas the twelfth general meeting and the World Simmental-Fleckvieh Congress are held in Goiania. 16 of the 27 member countries are directly present, four have sent attorneys.
The World Simmental-Fleckvieh Congress discusses a possible joining of the ICAR.
The Homepage address of the World Simmental federation in the Internet is:www.worldsimmentalfed.com. It is connected with the keywords Simmental. fleckvieh. Pie Rouge and Pezzata Rossa.
The situation of DNA-markers for hornless ness is discussed. New data for the quality of the meat of Simmental fleckvieh and its crossbreeds are supposed to be ascertained. Ascertained, always considering the different surrounding and breeding systems. The breeders of Simbrah who are part of the national organizations of Simmental breeders of their country are admitted to the World Simmental Federation.
During exhibitions and visits to farms the participants in the congress can convince themselves of the suitability of Simmental Fleckvieh and its cross-breeds for being bred in tropical regions. The book "A Saga do Simental no Brasil" is presented.
There are over 50 million cattle belonging to the Simmental Fleckvieh breed in the World and therefore it is one of the five or six largest of the 330 cattle breeds of the world.
The head of the World Simmental Federation can convince himself on-site of the flourishing breeding of Simmental fleckvieh in China.
The Fleckvieh Breeders Association of Oberfranken/Bavaria celebrates its 100th anniversary. The Fleckvieh Breeders Association of Schwäbisch Hall/Baden Würtmberg its 90th. The first fleckvieh came from South Africa to Zambia 30 years ago.
In September the teams and the committee meet in Kaposzvar/Hungary on which occasion preparation are made for the 13th general meeting and for the World Simmental Fleckvieh Congress which will be held in Ireland in August 2000.
The foundation of the World Simmental Federation 25 years ago is recalled.
Simmental Fleckvieh has been bred in Hungary since the turn of the century.