Hundreds Of Farmers Have Been Reimbursed After A Bad Batch Of Sire Semen Was Used On 921 Herds Across The Country

Hundreds of farmers have been reimbursed after a bad batch of sire semen was used on 921 herds across the country, resulting in lower pregnancy rates. Livestock Improvement Corporation provides premier sire semen straws which dairy farmers use to mate their herds. Routine testing in October found issues with 13 batches of semen that were used on farms in October. LIC general manager of New Zealand markets Malcolm Ellis says the batches passed early quality control checks before failing the day three test. A biological breakdown occurred within the straws which impacted semen survival across the three days of insemination. One farmer who was impacted is Feds Dairy Chair Richard McIntyre who says for some it will be very frustrating.