Sexed semen tech firm Sexing Technologies will open its first sexed semen sorting lab facility in Ireland in November, the company and Teagasc have confirmed.
Dovea Genetics and Eurogene AI Services have committed to produce sex-sorted semen at the new facility.
Commenting, Juan Moreno, Sexing Technologies CEO said:
“This lab will give local dairy and beef producers access to the global gold standard in sex sorted semen, our SexedULTRA 4M semen, which is more than 90% gender accurate and achieves conception rates comparable to conventional semen.
The lab will be located at Teagasc’s Moorepark Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre in Fermoy, Co. Cork.
Stephen Butler, reproductive physiologist at Teagasc, added: “This lab represents a turning point for Ireland’s dairy and beef industries.
“We are delighted that Sexing Technologies is coming to Ireland to offer this leading technology to our AI industry and, ultimately, to our dairy and beef producers.”
According to Sexing Technologies, sexed semen generates faster genetic improvement in cattle herds by “allowing producers to breed their best cows and heifers to genetically elite sires and create their next generation replacements”.
Producers who utilise genomic testing can more easily identify their top genetic merit animals, which they can breed with sexed semen, the firm says.
Meanwhile their animals “with lesser genetic merit” can be bred with beef semen to produce a beef calf that will generate added income.