SA breeders feature in genetics sale

The Genomix Beef Genetics Auction to be held at Rockhampton, Qld, on May 7 at Beef Australia will bring together 40 of the nation's leading beef seedstock producers to offer embryo and semen packages.

Woonallee Simmentals, Furner; Lancaster Simmentals, Meningie; Maryvale Limousins, Kapunda; and Raven Limousins, Field, will participate in the sale, where buyers will be able to bid live or online during a two-hour period.

Each participating stud will offer two packages of five A-grade embryos for domestic sale.

Each embryo package comes with a 50 per cent guarantee when conducted by a registered ET vet.

Studs will also offer a one-off opportunity for the successful buyer to select an elite female from within their herd to be flushed. This is open to domestic and international buyers.

Sale coordinators Bruce and Jonny Arkins, Toowoomba, Qld, came up with the idea for the "first of its kind" sale in the natural progression of their Genomix, genetic marketing business.

They recognised that with advances in genetic tools and technology such as embryo transfer, fixed-time AI and IVF, and their success rates, there was potential for studs to spread their elite genetics further, and for new and established studs to access new bloodlines.

"If you start with quality you end with quality," Mr Arkins said.

They also believe there is huge potential to export Australian beef genetics.

"The United States is exporting $388 million in genetics around the world and even Canada which has half the breeding herd which Australia has, are exporting $88m - yet Australia exports a little more than $1m," Mr Arkins said. "Some of that is due to red tape and other issues but the potential to expand is huge. "We see our future at Genomix as trying to achieve this."

He gave the example of a bull in the US which had sold for $400,000 but had generated $1.2m in semen sales.

"We want to create demand here in Australia for these elite animals for semen and embryo sales and then demand will come internationally too," he said.

The Arkins family has just completed a roadshow tour of participating herds, and have been hugely impressed by the quality of cattle across the 17 breeds.

They have been overwhelmed by the many positive social media comments even before the sale catalogue becomes available.

"We have got interest from Europe, South America, USA, Canada and South East Asia, and there is interest in sending Limousin genetics back to Europe - they can see the growth in our Australian genetics," Ms Arkins said.

Young Limousin breeders Jason and Penny Schulz, Raven stud, Field - one of three Limousin studs involved - are prime examples of how ET can deliver rapid genetic gains.

Their stud has made a quick ascension since the couple implanted 10 embryos in 2008 to start their seedstock operation.

"We owned embryos before we owned our first purebred registered female," Mr Schulz said.

The following year they bought females from Mandayen stud, Keith, which have been at the heart of their donor program.

More recently they have formed a genetic alliance with Hunt Ranches, Nebraska, US, importing semen and implanting embryos.

They have collected and implanted more than 120 embryos over the past six years.

"We started with the best genetics we could access and multiplied them rather than purchasing a herd and spending the next 10 years culling to improve," Mr Schulz said.

"It was a way of fast tracking the breeding program. We wouldn't have been able to get our herd to where it is today without ET."