Cattle-breeding services to amalgamate

TWO cattle-breeding services are to amalgamate.

They are Progressive Genetics, the farmer-owned Cattle Breeding Co-op, and North Western Cattle Breeding Society (NWCBS), owned by Connacht Gold Co-op, Donegal Creameries plc and a number of smaller societies.

Progressive Genetics Limited, the name of the new entity, will bring together the goodwill of the respective parties and includes their respective breeding programmes, AI Service, semen sales businesses and milk recording operations.

Progressive Genetics chief executive Denis Guilfoyle said it was well recognised that the Irish AI industry needed to be rationalised and they were delighted with the proposed amalgamation.

NWCBS chairman James Reidy said Sligo AI Station is renowned for the excellent quality of its bulls, particularly its beef breeds. “The combination of the two businesses offers farmers an unrivalled choice of top quality bulls,” he said.

The new structure resulted from a strategic review of both businesses and recognises the benefits to be delivered from the consolidation of NWCBS and Progressive Genetics.

The combined operation will be the largest provider of AI and milk recording services in Ireland, including a team of more than 200 skilled contract inseminators providing an AI service in 20 out of the 26 counties.

Denis Guilfoyle said the strengths of Progressive Genetics in the dairy and beef sector, combined with the acknowledged strengths of NWCBS in the beef sector, creates Ireland’s largest stud of dairy and beef bulls with the capacity to compete internationally.

“Genetic evaluation is at the core of any successful cattle-breeding organisation.

“Progressive Genetics Limited will continue to select the world’s best genetic and test it in Ireland under Irish conditions, because we believe this is the only reliable way to ensure Irish farmers will benefit from better genetics,” he said.