30 Years of the Technology That Revolutionized Productivity, Efficiency, and Profitability in Dairy Farming: A mature and proven technology that continues to support modern dairy production.

Over the past decades, technological advances in genetics, nutrition, management, comfort, and animal welfare have enabled enormous progress in dairy production and productivity. Studies in the United States indicate that milk production per cow has quadrupled, and production efficiency has tripled in the last century. Similar progress has also occurred in Brazil as producers continue improving productivity and efficiency across a wide variety of production systems.

Thirty years ago, an innovative and disruptive technology born from developments in biotechnology was introduced to the dairy industry: bovine somatotropin (bST). Mexico was the first country to approve the technology in 1990, followed by Brazil in 1992 and the United States in 1994 under the name Posilac™.

Its development involved universities, private industry, and federal regulatory agencies in several countries. By the time of approval, more than 1,000 studies involving over 20,000 cows worldwide had already demonstrated its efficacy and safety. Over the past 30 years, those original findings have been consistently confirmed through practical results from the use of Posilac™ in more than 50 million cows worldwide.

One of the most significant characteristics of Posilac™ is its ability to increase milk production by an average of 4.5 liters per cow per day, with measurable results beginning shortly after application, without compromising animal health, reproduction, welfare, longevity, or the composition and safety of milk produced for human consumption.

Unlike technologies that may take years to demonstrate measurable progress, somatotropin supplementation delivers a rapid and consistent response across different breeds, production systems, and geographic regions. At the same time, it does not replace other management technologies. Instead, it complements advancements in genetics, nutrition, reproduction, health, and cow comfort by amplifying productive efficiency when strong management practices are already in place.

Today, the dairy industry also faces growing pressure related to sustainability and environmental impact. Producers are increasingly expected to improve efficiency while reducing resource use and greenhouse gas emissions. By increasing production per cow, Posilac™ contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of milk production through improved production efficiency and dilution of maintenance costs.

For these reasons, Posilac™ continues to represent a technology that combines tradition, innovation, productivity, sustainability, and profitability. While many new technologies

continue entering the dairy industry, few have demonstrated the long-term consistency, extensive scientific support, and practical commercial results observed over three decades of Posilac™ use across modern dairy systems.

Author: Original content adapted from Chapter 1 of the Posilac™ Technical Magazine published by Union Agener Animal Health.