Ireland’s first purpose-built sexed semen lab was officially opened by Tipperary AI company Dovea Genetics on Thursday 29 August.

The €1m facility has been established to accommodate the future expansion of sexed semen usage by Irish farmers.

The lab will be operated by Sexing Technologies (ST) - a company which Dovea Genetics has been collaborating with for several years in Ireland.

Speaking at the opening of the sexed semen lab, Dovea Genetics chair John P Nugent said that the investment highlights the commitment the company is making to provide the best dairy and beef genetics available as sexed semen for Irish farmers.

Sexed semen technology has been a game changer

"The demand for sexed semen is growing and will continue to grow. The sexed semen technology has been a game changer for the Irish dairy and beef breeding industries," Nugent said on Thursday.

The technology, he added, has allowed dairy farmers to breed females from their best cows and heifers to high-EBI sires, accelerating genetic gain and improving overall herd sustainability.

Beef herds

The technology has also been transformative in beef herds, allowing suckler farmers to selectively breed their top-performing cows to high-replacement index sires, he said.

"The application of male beef sexed semen on dairy cows will become more of a common place in the future. The broader impact of increased sexed semen utilisation in Ireland’s agricultural sector is significant and we are pleased to contribute to addressing both current and future challenges," Nugent explained.

Vice-president and general manager of Sexing Technologies in Europe Dr Andrew Cromie said that the global cattle breeding industry is undergoing huge changes with the rapid uptake of dairy sexed semen, combined with beef on dairy genetics.

"Nowhere is this more evident than in Ireland, where the usage of dairy sexed semen has doubled each year for the last three to four years. We welcome the foresight of the Dovea Genetics board and management team for responding to these challenges, with the establishment of this new sexed semen laboratory here at the home of Dovea.

"We look forward to partnering closely with them in the years to come, in the delivery of high-quality sexed sorted dairy and beef genetics for their Irish and global customers," he said.