The technology, called EpiHerd, is now being piloted in Canada after a Manitoba dairy farmer reached out to Antler Bio seeking solutions for his crossbred herd — animals that often fall outside the scope of traditional genomic testing programs.

Antler Bio, founded in 2020, uses blood testing and advanced gene expression analysis to identify environmental and management factors, including stressors and nutritional deficiencies, that could be affecting herd health and performance.

While conventional genomic tools examine the genes an animal carries, EpiHerd focuses on epigenetics: how active those genes are and how they respond to the animal’s environment.

“We measure about 27,000 individual genes, not just whether they’re present, but how active they are,” says Andrew Lessey, chief operating officer for Antler Bio. “That allows us to see what signals the animal’s biology is giving us about what’s holding it back or where it may be deficient.”

The company collects blood samples from about 10 per cent of a herd. Those samples are analyzed alongside a farm’s production and health data, and using artificial intelligence and machine learning, EpiHerd develops practical recommendations for farmers to implement.

From horse racing to the dairy barn

Antler Bio traces its roots to the horse racing industry, but co-founders Maria Jensen and Nathalie Conte soon realized the larger opportunity was in livestock, where improvements in efficiency and animal welfare could have broader impact.

Within 18 months of launch, the company secured initial funding and completed a proof-of-concept study identifying key biological markers in dairy cattle linked to health and productivity.

Today, Antler Bio works with more than 130 dairy farms across five countries, with strong adoption in Finland and growing interest in the U.K. and Scandinavia.

Early results suggest the company’s insights can translate into measurable on-farm improvements.

In one example Lessey cites, gene expression analysis revealed several management issues including selenium and vitamin D imbalances, dehydration signals and underlying metabolic stress.

“The farmer made changes around improving selenium and vitamin D, changed feed sources to improve metabolic stress and added more water facilities — changes that were relatively straightforward,” Lessey says. “The outcome was a significant uplift in milk yield that translated into an additional €30,000 (about C$47,000) per year in profit on 100 head.”

The improvements also extended to animal health. Mastitis dropped by 95 per cent and ketosis and milk fever disappeared, reducing veterinary costs and production losses.

Adapting human diagnostics for livestock

The technology itself is not entirely new. Similar gene expression testing has been widely used in human medicine, particularly in advanced cancer diagnostics. Antler Bio’s innovation lies in adapting the approach for livestock and integrating it with farm management data.

It was through Innovate U.K.’s Global Business Innovation Program that Antler Bio landed a spot in a recent cohort of the Cultivator, powered by Conexus, incubator in Saskatchewan and started making connections to Canadian agriculture — including the Manitoba dairy farm where they’re launching their first North American project.

Looking for Canadian early adopters

Although rapid expansion into Canada isn’t in the immediate plans, Lessey says the company hopes to recruit a small number of early-adopter farms to build local data and validate the technology under Canadian conditions. Interested dairy farmers are encouraged to contact the company directly.

Long term, Antler Bio hopes its platform will help dairy farmers worldwide improve herd health, profitability and environmental performance.

“If farmers can produce the same amount of milk with fewer animals and the same inputs, that’s good for the farm business and it also reduces the environmental footprint,” Lessey says.

Although currently focused on dairy, the platform could also be adapted for other livestock species or even companion animals in the future.

The post Manitoba dairy farm first in Canada to pilot epigenetics herd tool appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The two companies announced the deal March 2.

Zoetis will pay $160 million, subject to customary closing adjustments. Neogen had previously announced it planned to divest of this side of its business.

Zoetis said in a news release the acquisition “aligns directly with Zoetis’ strategy to drive future livestock innovation through genomics.”

Neogen serves customers in about 120 countries from five laboratories in the United States, Brazil, Australia, China and the United Kingdom. It also has an office in Canada.

The news release said it is a leader in U.S. beef and dairy genomics and uses cutting-edge technology for highly accurate scalable genetic testing.

WHY IT MATTERS: Genomics has transformed breeding, particularly in the dairy sector, by accelerating genetic gains through trait selection.

Neogen intends to use the sale proceeds for debt reduction and said the genomics business generated about $90 million in sales in fiscal 2025.

“This transaction is part of the company’s strategic portfolio review and allows the company to accelerate de-leveraging and improve profitability going forward,” said chief executive officer Mike Nassif.

“Furthermore, this deal allows us to focus in areas where the company has the most significant competitive advantage and further leverage our core capabilities in food and animal safety. We are committed to a smooth transition for customers, employees and other stakeholders, and believe the business is well positioned to thrive under Zoetis’ ownership.”

Zoetis chief commercial officer Jamie Brannan said the acquisition allows the company to expand its Precision Animal Health business and adds “complementary capabilities that expand predictive insights and individualized care.”

The post Zoetis to acquire Neogen Corp. genomics business appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

WHY IT MATTERS: The significant increase in available genetic data will help the entire Canadian sector provide more timely breeding decision feedback.

Lactanet moved to monthly reporting this fall, highlighting the project during its recent Open Industry Session.

During the Oct. 22 event, Senior Geneticist Pete Sullivan said changes in genetic ratings, based on information received up to Sept. 19, were published on Oct. 7 for more than 350,000 dairy cows. This compares to approximately 80,000 changes that would have been updated monthly under the previous protocol, which only provided monthly updates for females with production recorded under Lactanet’s supervised testing protocol.

Lactanet’s database currently includes over 35 million animals, mostly females. Ratings for genetic factors related to production and profitability have been widely published three times per year: April, August and December. Many of those on supervised Lactanet testing, meanwhile, have seen monthly updates provided for genetic herd inventories or genetic mating programs.

The recent initiative, with Phase 1 introduced effective Oct. 7, sees updates based on both supervised testing and some herd management software programs published not just for producers and their service providers, but also for the entire dairy genetics sector. Sullivan noted in his Open Industry Session presentation that the project provides improved accuracy when selecting for mating sires, more timely identification of cows that have moved up in their rankings based on their own production values, and more timely updates for cows that are closely related to cows that saw their production and profitability ratings increase.

Phase 2, scheduled to be introduced in December, would see Lactanet’s monthly cow rankings use one singular evaluation of all enrolled cows’ potential for production and Lifetime Profitability Index (LPI).

This compares to the current two separate genetic evaluations — “official” or “management” — depending on whether the cow’s production was recorded through a “publishable” format (herd management software or by supervised testing) or by the farmer themself through unsupervised monthly milk testing.

Currently, cows with a management index are given parent average ratings for Lactanet and breed association publications. As such, they don’t qualify for inclusion in lists of top-ranked females based on LPI or other profitability parameters.

“The fact that some cows and heifers have had different genetic evaluations available depending on the degree of supervised testing has been a longstanding source of confusion,” Lactanet staffers Cindy Jaton and Hannah Sweett wrote in a recent article about the switch to monthly updates, posted by the organization.

Sullivan said the impact of including cows on unsupervised testing will be small. “We expect that top cow lists, as a result (of implementing Phase 2), will include a few cows with unsupervised recording.”

He showed results of an analysis conducted by Lactanet about the possible Phase 2 effects. For LPI ratings, that analysis suggested the highest-ranking owner-sampled Holstein in Canada would rank 141st, while there would be three owner-sampled Jerseys in the top 100 list.

The post Lactanet moves to monthly on dairy genetic reports appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Canadian beef producers will no longer have to send samples to other countries to have genotyping done.

Read: More Agribition coverage.

GIFS and the Canadian Beef Improvement Network announced a new strategic partnership at Canadian Western Agribition. Funding for the state-of-the-art equipment came from Farm Credit Canada’s accelerated breeding program at GIFS, announced last year, and Prairies Economic Development Canada.

WHY IT MATTERS: Genotyping is expected to play a larger role in breeding improvements as the industry advances. Being able to do the work in Canada will eliminate shipment delays and extended turnaround times for testing.

CBIN’s Sandy Russell said the beef industry has been working on this for years, but in the last seven months everything came together. Until now, the tests and storage of the information have been done in the United States and Australia.

“It’s important we work with our partners around the world, but we need our data and our resources here within Canada to be able to help support Canadian beef producers to keep supporting those world class genetics, world class beef that we’re all used to,” she said.

Russell said producers have been genotyping for a long time and it’s a cost they are used to paying. A Canadian system will create efficiencies and value, she said, but not higher prices.

Genotyping isn’t likely to replace visual appraisal.

“This is one more tool to help us do a better job of predicting the production we’re going to make in the future,” she said.

GIFS chief executive officer Steven Webb agreed.

“When you look at the FCC breeding acceleration program at GIFS, it actually links the genotype or the letters and the DNA with what is actually looked at in the field — how does it perform, whether it’s a plant, a cow, a pig. It complements and augments what the phenotypes are and helps us understand what the genotypes are.”

Understanding both visual appearance and genetic makeup can help make prediction models to drive genetic gain.

GIFS’ role is to bring the technical expertise and turn the data into information producers can actually use to make decisions faster.

“Our role is kind of the trusted honest data broker and data security,” he said.

“The data that we generate can add additional value to the industry participants by being able to have it all in one place, to be able to scale it up and leverage it for new traits and technologies for the industry,” Webb said.

Sarah Van Schothorst, CEO of the Canadian Gelbvieh Association, said the partnership represents innovation that supports producers.

“Our support of CBIN reflects the shared belief that genetic progress is strongest when we work together,” she said.

“Through the strategic partnership with GIFS, CGA has access to high throughput genotyping, sovereign data storage and management and innovative advancements in data analytics.”

This will resonate throughout the sector as breeders, commercial producers and others are able to use accurate credible genetic information, she said.

Van Schothorst said having the information in Canada will eliminate risks and delays associated with cross-border shipments, ensure secure storage and management, improve decision making to align seedstock and commercial customer needs and support long-term breed management goals.

Canadian Simmental Association president Randy Noble said producers are excited about the opportunity.

“We’ve heard all the reasons why it makes sense for Canadian seed stock producers to get involved, and the value that brings us in security of data and not having to experience some of the challenges working with companies outside of Canada,” he said.

“It’s all about helping us make the decisions so that we’re confident the seed stock that we’re producing is the right product for the industry.”

There is increasing emphasis on data and how to manage and use it, and Noble said this is another step in a continuous improvement journey.

The post Beef DNA testing now available in Canada appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The discovery could have benefits for other livestock because the virus that causes classical swine fever is similar to the pathogen responsible for bovine viral diarrhea in cattle.

“The same genetic edit could theoretically be applied to other livestock species, offering broader protection against disease,” says the University of Edinburgh release that promoted the discovery.

The Edinburgh scientists, who collaborated with the animal genetics company Genus and other European researchers, made their discovery by focusing on a group of viruses called pestiviruses and how they interact with pig cells.

They targeted a protein that plays a large role in pestivirus replication, known as DNAJC14.

The basic idea was to edit the gene that produces the DNAJC14 protein to hopefully prevent the virus from replicating inside the pig.

To test the concept, the scientists edited the target gene in pig embryos and implanted them in sows.

The next step was exposing the pigs (in adulthood) to the classical swine fever virus.

“No signs of infection were detected when young adult pigs with edited DNAJC14 were inoculated with classical swine fever virus, demonstrating gene editing as a viable option for control of these devastating pathogens,” says a paper published in Trends in Biotechnology in October.

Classical swine fever can be a major problem for hog producers in parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe.

The disease is also known as “hog cholera,” says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

“The disease ranges from mild to severe and can be fatal, often causing a large number of deaths in affected herds.”

It’s not found in Canada, but a different pestivirus is a problem for Canadian cattle producers — bovine viral diarrhea virus.

BVD is common in western Canadian beef herds and in feedlots, says a University of Calgary factsheet.

It can infect calves in gestation, causing abortions, still births and weak calves. Other BVD symptoms include diarrhea, fever and immune-suppression, increasing the risk for other diseases.

Bovine viral diarrhea is effectively controlled with vaccinations, and recent reports indicate that the majority of Canada’s cattle herd is vaccinated for BVD.

Still, having another tool to control this disease would be helpful and could reduce the need for constant vaccinations.

The University of Edinburgh researchers found that the gene editing prevented the viruses that cause classical swine fever and BVD from replicating inside the embryo.

“If adopted by (livestock) breeders, this discovery could provide a timely addition to the control options available to farming communities around the world,” said the Trends in Biotechnology paper.

The post Gene editing against classical swine fever appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The field is called epigenetics, and Antler Bio is one of the first companies to create a testing program to prove management-genetic interactions.

See all of our Ag in Motion coverage at the Western Producer.

Andy Lessey, chief operating officer of Antler Bio, was at Ag in Motion 2025 as part of the Cultivator by Conexus display. Cultivator is a Saskatchewan-based technology accelerator that has a partnership with InnovateUK to have some British tech companies as part of its cohorts.

The post British company Antler Bio brings epigenetics to dairy farms appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison announced $3.4 million over four years to the IntegrOmes project on Tuesday.

IntegrOmes (short for Integrated Omics for Sustainable Animal Agriculture and Environmental Stewardship) is a large-scale project to advance genomics research on the University of Saskatchewan campus, including expanding capacity at the university’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence, the school wrote in a November article.

Early phases of the project included lab renovations. The third phase is construction of a new “Beef Reprotech” facility, which will allow researchers to collect phenotypic (observable trait) data and genetics samples — and to sequence the entire genome of a beef cow.

The announced funding, which comes through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, will support building of the reprotech facility and the Omics Resource Centre at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Why beef genomics research?

Genetic testing of beef cattle is limited in Canada, said Lynn Weber, the veterinary school’s association dean of research and graduate studies, in the November article.

It also relies on analysis done in the U.S. by labs that keep genetic sequencing and associated trait information proprietary.

“So we can’t re-probe when new diseases pop up, or [if] we detect problems or just want more information,” Weber said.

With the new facilities, researchers plan to establish a national genomic testing resource for beef producers to give them more better insights into herd genetics. The database would also be an open resource for scientists.

This includes sequencing the beef cattle genome and matching genes to the traits they produce.

What does this mean for producers?

The university noted a gap between how the dairy, pork and chicken sectors have used genetic testing and how it’s been used in the beef sector.

“There is a deep lag in the beef industry in terms of utilizing these genetics and genomic tools,” said Scott Wright, director of the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence, in the November article.

The cost of the technologies and complexity of analytical tools was prohibitive, he added.

“We are only now getting to the point where we can analyze these very, very large data sets,” Wright said. “The technology has advanced to the point where we’re within reach of a very practical utilization and application.”

This would mean opportunities to make better choices “based on the entire genetic environment surrounding each animal,” the university said.

This could also lead to animals that are more feed-efficient, thereby requiring less forage and producing less greenhouse gas emissions.

The post Government funding boosts beef cattle genetics research at University of Saskatchewan appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Instead, many went to a local Indiana slaughterhouse for less than $200 each after the Chinese buyer canceled the order within a week of China implementing retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. in April.

China is one of the biggest importers of American breeding pigs and other livestock genetic material such as cattle semen. These lucrative niche export markets had been growing, but dried up since U.S. President Donald Trump started a trade war with Beijing.

U.S. farmers and exporters said the dispute has already cost them millions of dollars and jeopardized prized trade relationships that took years to develop.

Long-term brand damage

Though Washington and Beijing agreed to pause tariffs last week, exporters said Trump’s unpredictable trade policy has caused their companies long-term damage and could encourage China and other major buyers to turn to foreign rivals like Denmark.

“We’ve got brand damage now. There’s not a week that goes by without clients asking what’s happening with the U.S.,” said Tony Clayton, owner of Clayton Agri-Marketing, a Missouri-based livestock exporting company.

“I don’t know how we can put this back together. This is long-term damage,” he said.

White House spokesperson Kush Desai said the administration was “working around the clock to secure billions of dollars in even more opportunities with our other trading partners.”

Some farmers raise pigs specifically for breeding, a niche business within the $37 billion U.S. hog industry. Farmers pay top dollar for these specialty pigs, which have favorable genetics to produce lots of healthy piglets that can eventually be processed into tasty, high-quality pork.

Lemmon, an Indiana veterinarian and farm owner, has been selling pigs worldwide for over 30 years. He said he spent more than a year working on the $2.4 million sale of the pedigreed pigs to China. He noted they were carefully bred for good health, litter size and high fat content that leads to richly marbled, tender meat when cooked.

“It’s devastating when it happens,” Lemmon said, referencing the sale he lost.

He said he plans to stay in the breeding business, and is working to rekindle the deal with his Chinese buyer during the tariff pause.

Cattle, pig genetic shipments on pause

Roughly half of the world’s pigs live on Chinese farms. The country has purchased large quantities of breeding pigs from the U.S. since an outbreak of African swine fever, a virus with a near-total fatality rate, wiped out millions of the country’s hogs in 2018.

Shipping livestock is lucrative but time-consuming. Shippers must personally fly with the animals or hire an on-board attendant who can make the rounds to keep their pricey passengers well-hydrated and comfortable during a long flight. When not working, the attendants chat with the flight crew or sometimes lie in sleeping bags next to the animals in the chilly cargo bay, exporters and farmers said.

China has also been the biggest importer of semen from U.S. dairy cows, known for producing large amounts of protein-rich milk. But “Not one unit of semen is going to China right now,” Jay Weiker, president of the National Association of Animal Breeders, said, noting China had been importing one-quarter of all U.S. cattle semen, which they use to artificially inseminate their dairy cows.

The Chinese milk industry began importing large amounts of cattle semen to improve the genetics of domestic dairy cows after a deadly scandal over contaminated milk in 2008, Weiker said. At least six children in China died and nearly 300,000 fell ill after a Chinese manufacturer added melamine, a dangerous chemical, to milk powder to make the protein levels appear higher.

Brittany Scott, owner of SMART Reproduction Services, a sheep and goat genetics company, said several foreign customers had also pulled out of deals. This left many vials of semen sitting in her Arkansas facility, frozen in tanks of liquid nitrogen and waiting for buyers. “They are eager to do their jobs,” Scott said of her male goats and sheep. “They understand the assignment and they do really well.”

However, the work of selling their product has proven harder after Trump announced sweeping tariffs in April, and China retaliated.

The lost sales have been “a punch in the gut,” Scott said.

The post Pigs can’t fly: U.S. high-end livestock breeders lose millions in China tariff fallout appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Getting DNA samples is adding another task to an already exhausting to-do list, but some in the industry argue those samples could bring benefit and may become the norm in the sector.

Why it matters: Calving season is upon many early calving producers on the Prairies, a group that includes many seed stock operations.

According to Sydney Tuckwiller and Paige Pratt, the benefits of taking DNA samples are almost countless.

“It’s amazing what we can do with this technology, and especially the information that we can gather from an earlier age,” Tuckwiller says.

Both Tuckwiller and Pratt are genomics experts at Neogen Corporation, a Michigan-based food safety and animal health company. While Neogen serves both companion and performance animals, on the beef side of things they focus on genomics for cow-calf, feedlot and seed stock.

Both decision-making and the producer’s bottom line might be informed by a DNA test, allowing the producer to invest in the animals most likely to give them better bang for their buck.

“If we have a better idea of what that calf is at an earlier age, then we can start making decisions sooner and then not having to spend so much money on the input on those individuals, because at the end of the day, that’s what ends up costing us money,” Tuckwiller said.

“And we don’t want to have to hold on to something that is only going to cost us money in the long run and doesn’t meet our breeding objectives.”

Pratt also noted that, on her own operation, DNA testing allows her to be more confident in her cattle and to know the quality of the animals she is selling.

Sean McGrath is a rancher and consultant in Vermilion, Alta. He says implementing DNA testing has been one of the most beneficial things he has done on his operation.

“Especially from a seed stock perspective, the quicker you can figure out with a high degree of certainty the pedigree on that animal, it sets you up to have a good start,” he said.

Sampling logistics

There are multiple ways to get a DNA sample. The most common are a hair sample or tissue sample.

Hair, sourced from the tail, neck or poll, is the easiest to get, but also the most likely to fail. There must be enough root of the hair to test. It also can be more expensive than the tissue sample, because it requires lab technicians to separate the entire hair follicle, which is more labour-intensive.

Experts instead suggest that tissue sampling units (TSUs) are the recommended way to go.

“The TSUs have less fail rate, they speed up the process and… they are easier to take than any other method,” Pratt said.

The unit punches out a sample from the calf’s ear. It’s also not wasted labour. Many applicators have the ability to install an ear tag at the same time.

“I think every seed stock producer should do it if they’re serious about producing genetics for the marketplace,” McGrath said.

The producer advised his fellow farmers to make sure each sample is well labelled, avoiding calf identification mix ups, and sent for testing promptly.

“That sample doesn’t do any good sitting on the desk or sitting in a filing cabinet. So you need to have a system where you’re actually actively sending those things in and getting test results,” he said.

The cost of a DNA sample depends on where you get it and what you want the lab to test. For example, the AllFlex tissue sampling unit can cost around US$30 for a box of 10. NeoGen’s costs around US$20 for a box of 10. Neither includes the price of the applicator.

You will also have to pay to have the DNA samples processed in a lab. However, there are ways to save money.

“You don’t have to test for everything. You might want to do a high-density test and have the genetic evaluation of it more accurate to set EPDs (expected progeny differences) on a calf,” McGrath said. “You might not have to test homo polled or colour until that bull makes your bull sale.”

He says if you already have the sample collected and sent to the lab, you can ask them to test for other things in the future — you don’t have to pull the sample again.

A dry ear is also key, Pratt noted. “If mother’s fluids are still on that calf, we’re going to have cross-contamination…Do not clean it with any disinfectants or cleaners. Just wipe it dry with the towel and then take that sample,” she said.

Producers are also warned against leaving the unit in a truck overnight or in other places where it could freeze or (later in the year) get too hot, increasing failure risk.

When to sample

There is no hard-and-fast deadline for taking a DNA sample, as long as it is early enough in the calf’s life. During calving, however, is a logical choice, because you can tag the calf as you take the DNA sample. Some farmers also sample at weaning.

“Originally, we took them at preconditioning for weaning,” Pratt said of her operation. “And then by weaning we would have the results. We felt like maybe we needed to back that up in our operation to give us even more time to be able to kind of put it all together.”

Producers should give themselves enough time to take the sample, send it into the lab, and allow processing time before they start making decisions about the future of the calf.

Genomic record-keeping

When it comes to the importance of genomic record-keeping, Pratt says it’s becoming more and more widespread across the beef industry.

“You don’t have to do it (keep genomic records), but you do have to compete against the guy down the road that is.”

Dairy, poultry and pork have already been genetic testing for years, and it’s a staple in those industries. The grain industry, too, is constantly improving its technology. Pratt believes it’s time for the beef industry to catch up.

“You can get on the cart, or you can be left behind,” she said.

With more people using genetic testing, technology continues to improve as well.

“The same money you would have spent five years ago or 10 years ago, you’re getting way more powerful tests. And that’s not going to stop, that’s continuing. So, I think that’s pretty exciting,” McGrath says.

The post DNA sampling could be the next calving season norm appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Its efforts are made possible with funding from the federal government’s agri-marketing program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The council will receive $871,200 from 2023-26. Federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay highlighted the funding during Canadian Western Agribition.

“This federal investment is vital for our hard-working farmers so they can continue raising first-rate cattle while embracing practices that protect our land and livestock,” he said.

Agribition is a partner of the council and plays role in promotion of Canadian purebred beef cattle. This year’s show included six in-person purebred cattle sales and showcased 10 breeds, which attracted international trade.

“Without promotion, without being able to go visit them and them come here, we wouldn’t have that trade,” said Sandy Russell, chief executive officer of the beef breeds council. “So, it’s those pieces, but it’s mainly in that high end of all genetics that they’re looking for so they can take back and amplify within their herd.”

Surrounded by the hum of the Agribition International Business Centre, and with the Simmental show going on in the arena below, Russell said this funding will be used for all aspects of international promotion for Canadian genetics, “to go out and bring inbound missions, outbound missions, so that we can build our trade exports on the genetic side.

“So live cattle, semen, embryos. And so, whether it’s through ourselves doing the work or our members doing the work, this funding is matching dollars that helps that promotion.”

Agri-marketing is about building relationships between potential buyers, sellers, breeders and everyone else in the industry on the international level.

Russell said the funding is also important for sharing important and necessary information about genetics, Canadian animal health standards and opportunities for trade.

The council met with a Mexican delegation at Agribition. Russell said discussion was focused on the interaction between the country’s beef industries and building relationships. The delegation wants to buy Canadian beef genetics to improve the country’s cattle herds.

International growth

In recent years, in part because of funding from the agri-marketing program, international attendance at shows such as Agribition has increased and interest in Canadian beef genetics has grown, said Russell.

The United States is the top marketing partner due to its proximity, but strategic markets that offer diversity and growth also include Vietnam, Australia, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

The beef breeds council attends shows in North America and around the world, including Agribition, Farmfair in Edmonton, Beef Australia, National Western Stock Show in Denver and various shows in Mexico.

“So, a lot of it is travel, but a lot of it is also promotional materials, activities, virtual broadcasts of shows and stuff, so that people can view what was going on here and participate, like I said, in sales and stuff.”

Russell said the council has a prominent partnership with Australia. There were a few Australians at Agribition, notably the chief executive officer of Beef Australia, the biggest beef show on the other side of the world.

“We send representatives over to their big cattle show. They come here,” she said. “That would be a prime example of an activity that we’ve been doing and supported by these funding dollars that really translated into relationships, attendance, coming to each other’s country, seeing the cattle, seeing the opportunities, and then business being done.”

Russell said this commitment to partnerships is reflected by the willingness of Australian and Mexican buyers to travel to Regina at the end of November when there is risk of a foot of snow on the ground.

Cattle producers also play a big role.

“Breeders connecting with breeders is really what is ideal for relationships and for marketing. The Mexican breeders that are here, they don’t want to talk to Sandy. They want to go out into the barns and talk to the actual breeders.”

Russell urged producers to take advantage of opportunities at shows and the resources offered by the beef breeds council to better engage in the international marketplace.

“We can help support them inside those activities and participate in the missions. Whether that’s incoming breeders from other countries or outgoing to other countries, that opportunity to learn and to see what other countries need, from a genetics perspective, is extremely valuable.”

The post Funds to boost image of Canadian beef genetics appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.