09/08/2008 11h14
Market is heated in veterinary industry
Gazeta Mercantil - 09/08/2008
The prices that are considered most profitable both for the beef and for the dairy industries are making the animal health companies bet on good sales this year. Up until now the sales of the sector are 7.5% higher, on the average. But the difference in 2008 is the sale of higher added value products, such as those of the reproduction line. The moment is so good that the sector's industries have gained a new competitor: DVA Brasil. The company is going to invest US$ 100 million in the veterinary sector until 2014 and enters this segment with 10 products - acquired from Alvet. Carlos Pellicer, chairman of the company, says that the proposal of the company is to integrate the three areas: animal and vegetable health, and nutrition. With this, DVA Brasil expects to reach US$ 250 million in sales in the poultry segment in 2012, and another US$ 30 million in the veterinary segment - which includes the nutrition. Pellicer affirms that the entrance in this segment was defined three years ago, when DVA chose the Country as its center of technology. "We believe in a big growth in the use of technology in the country, with more intensive rearing and the use of agriculture-livestock integration", he says. "The year has been wonderful. And the forecasts advance towards the maintenance of this situation", affirms Sérgio Barros, Marketing manager of Biógenes-Bagó. According to him, up to the moment, the market has grown 7% compared to last year. Barros says that the reproduction market is the one that grows the most. "At this point, Brazil is a teacher", he affirms - referring to technologies such as artificial insemination in a fixed time (AIFT). At Pfizer, the expectation is also around the reproductive market. Jorge Espanha, director of the Division of Animal Health of the company, says that this line - which includes AIFT - has sales 30% higher. According to Pfizer's evaluation 50% of the current Brazilian insemination uses this technology. In the dairy segment, the highest sales are of intra-mammary products: 20% up. "The market is demanding much", says the president of Merial, Alfredo Ihde. But he remembers that the most of the sales - about 60% - occurs between spring and summer. He believes that this season the segment of bovines should have a greater high than the one seen in 2007, when the index was 5%. Among Merial's bets is Igenety - a kit of DNA tests - which allows the selection of animals for the improvement of the beef and milk.
