Dovea Genetics Open Ireland’s Largest Purpose-Built Sexed Semen Laboratory

Speaking at the official opening of the sexed semen lab John P. Nugent, Chairperson of Dovea Genetics said ‘This investment by the company is another significant milestone on our journey, highlighting the commitment Dovea Genetics is making to provide the best dairy and beef genetics available as sexed semen for Irish farmers.  The project is costing a significant one million euros and shows the commitment the company is making in having the best dairy and beef genetics available as sexed semen for Irish dairy & beef farmers. The demand for sexed semen is increasing and will continue to grow.  This newly designed facility has been established to accommodate the future expansion of sexed semen usage by Irish farmers. The sexed semen technology has been a game changer for the Irish dairy and beef breeding industries.  The technology 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.  The technology has also been transformative in beef herds allowing suckler farmers to selectively breed their top performing cows to high replacement index sires.  Additionally, the application of male beef sexed semen on dairy cows will become more widely used.  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.  He thanked Teagasc for providing the temporary sexed semen facility in 2021 to establish the sexed semen lab at Teagasc Moorepark which was used by the AI companies for the past three years.

The sexed semen lab will be operated by Sexing Technologies (ST).  Dovea Genetics has been collaborating with Sexing Technoloiges (ST) for several years in Ireland and anticipates further advancements in the technology that ST is currently developing.   Dr. Andrew Cromie, Vice President General Manager Europe said at the official opening ‘The global cattle breeding industry is undergoing huge changes with the rapid uptake of dairy sexed semen, combined with beef on dairy genetics. No where is this more evident than in Ireland, where the usage of dairy sexed semen has doubled each year for the last 3-4 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’.