New export opportunities open up

Society Matters

New Export Opportunities

Another export opportunity has recently opened to the UK, with Taiwan agreeing an export health certificate for sheep semen.

In addition, in early April Australia also agreed export health certificates for both embryos and semen.

Meanwhile, another market which many breeders have previously received enquiries from, Canada, is also opening negotiations with the UK on ovine genetic imports.

Society chief executive John Yates said all of these markets had potential to be valuable for UK breeders. “It is great to see more potential markets opening up for UK genetics. We know from previous exports that British Texels can perform in many different environments across the globe. I have no doubt that they will excel in these countries too, given the opportunity to do so.”

Meanwhile, semen and embryos have recently been exported to Mexico, with Society Matters Remember your ram registrations

Members are reminded to register rams prior to use for pedigree breeding and to ensure rams are registered before selling in-lamb ewes or semen from them.

In addition, registering rams earlier saves money as registration fees increase incrementally from October onwards each year. However, it is important to remember that the registration fee is applied on the date the DNA sample is received from the member.

Rams cannot be registered without a DNA sample and the resultant genotype. To obtain a DNA sampling kit members should contact the Society office by emailing registrations@ a total of 34 embryos exported from the Ingram family’s Logie Durno flock and sired by both Caereinion Ace and Elmscleugh Assasin.

Semen exported was from two sires, both from the Laird family’s Cambwell flock. The first was Langford Adder Again, while the second was a homebred 2018- born Cambwell ram, himself a son of Hollyford What A Boy.

Mexican importer Javier Lara says 17 of the embryos have already been implanted, with 14 holding, while 15 Texel ewes had been inseminated with the semen, with 80% in-lamb.

The remaining embryos are due to be implantated later this spring, he explained.

“These are the first UK Texel genetics I have imported to Mexico, having previously imported from the USA, Canada and New Zealand.” texel.co.uk detailing the identification of the ram and your flock code. Proof of purchase is also required for any non home bred rams. Kits should then be returned by applying the correct Royal Mail postage fees. Underpayments or surcharges for postage will be charged to the member’s account. Please note it can take up to eight weeks for DNA samples to be processed by the laboratory and rams will not be registered until a genotype is received from the laboratory (a concession has

Society Matters

Fee changes

Birth notification and lamb registration fees rose on 1st January 2020 in line with the retail price index, this rise ensures the Society maintains income in line with expenditure and can continue to invest in delivering the high level of service members have become accustomed to in recent years.

Members are reminded that significant savings can be made by using the Society’s online facilities to undertake birth notifications and registrations, with savings of about 30% compared with continuing to birth notify or register via the paper system.

In addition, changes have been made to ram transfer fees and import fees for both males and

females. been allowed for this during COVID19 but will be removed by August 31st).

There is an appeal process available to register a ram when a DNA sample isn’t available, however, this incurs a fee of £250 and there is no guarantee that the ram will be registered.

Register your rams prior to pedigree breeding, do not leave it too late as it could prove very expensive.