While in attendance at the Sommet de l’Elevage agricultural show in France last week, Agriland caught up with the general manager of the French-based Limousin genetics company Créalim, Sébastien Stamane.
2023 was a special year for the Limousin cattle breed at the French show as the French national championships for the breed took place at the event.
Speaking to Agriland, Stamane outlined the service that his business provides and noted a few French Limousin bulls that are proving to be popular in the Irish market.
Commenting on the role of Créalim, he said: “We select Limousin bulls, evaluate them, and send them anywhere in the world.”
The company is supplying Limousin genetics to Ireland.
“We have a strong partnership with the National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC) which is our distributer. All of our sires are available for Irish breeders,” Stamane said.
“Nebbiolo (LM3713) is one of our strongest sires at the moment,” he added.
Other bulls Créalim offers include Cameos (LM2191) and Bavardage.
The general manager added that the genetics firm is “continuing to evaluate qualities” on new bulls and that there are a few more promising sires being evaluated at present.
“Irish breeders have a real focus on easy calving and docility. They are the traits Irish breeders require the most and when we sell bulls in Ireland, we are always conscious of docility,” he said.
He added that bulls with good balance, a strong frame and good structure and pelvis are also in demand.
Créalim works with a union of cooperatives in France. “Our members ask us to select the bulls they need to provide semen to the breeders and we are linked with the French Limousin breed society,” Stamane said.
The firm has a genetics station based near Limoges which acts as a bull semen collection centre. The business also has a station to test for maternal qualities with females bred from the male progeny being tested.