INTERNATIONAL and interstate Beef Australia 2009 visitors were impressed by stringent biosecurity measures at Beef Breeding Services' Etna Creek semen collection centre for the production of licensed export and certified domestic semen.
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries veterinary and technical services coordinator Dr Barrett Hasell and BBS officers hosted inspections of the centre's 60-head capacity bull holding facilities and on-site processing laboratory complex.
Dr Hasell said a group of 15 Argentinean cattle industry professionals who inspected the BBS Etna Creek facilities on May 6 now had a first hand appreciation of the day to day operations at the facility and the quarantine protocols for donor bulls.
The South American delegation accompanied by Queensland Braford cattle breeder Jill Galloway, Ascot, Banana, expressed a strong interest in Australian Braford genetics and forecast an intention to progress semen investment opportunities.
"This Queensland-based centre for tropical beef genetics sets a quality benchmark that further boosts the confidence in our cattle genetics irrespective of whether the semen is being bought for the export or domestic use," Dr Hasell said.
"Prior to the collection of licenced semen for international markets, bulls undergo a 28-day quarantine period for disease assessment and blood tests. We have been able to satisfy Argentinean protocols that require a 60-day pre-quarantine and a 45-day post-collection quarantine requirement to access a high value market."
Dr Hasell said the Etna Creek centre was processing semen for South American clients from leased bulls for periods of four to six months and exporting 3000-5000 licenced straws.
"The BBS Etna Creek team also hosted a tour of the Etna Creek base by stud and commercial cattle producers from Central NSW led by John Bowler," he said.
"The NSW producers were keen to learn more about Fixed Time Artificial Insemination technology involving whole herd oestrus synchronisation and gain an understanding of how to assess semen quality and morphology.
"Due to the deregulated semen collection industry, these interstate producers were well aware of the potential losses and cost of trading in unlicenced or uncertified semen straws of unknown quality.
"Many interstate cattle producers are sourcing assured quality genetics through BBS which has around 1.3 million semen straws - predominantly tropical breeds - stored on behalf of clients at the BBS Rockhampton storage and distribution centre," Dr Hasell said.
BBS prepares documentation and consigns genetic material to export markets throughout the Pacific Islands region, USA, S.E Asia and South America.
Dr Hasall said that the current cooler months, a time when bulls were in top working condition following the summer breeding season, was the optimum time to collect semen.
There was currently ample bull accommodation available at the centre where a three-week stay could deliver 300-500 certified semen straws.
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