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Swedish sperm becomes 'bestseller' in China

Published: 7 May 12 15:11 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/40684/20120507/

Viking Genetics in western Sweden has been supplying the Chinese with over 100,000 doses of bull sperm over the last year and is hoping to do the same this year, as the country means to double its heifer population.

“We have done really well in China. Way above expectation. Over the past year we have exported over 100,000 doses of sperm and that it very good for a market which we have just entered,” said Sara Wiklert Petersson, export manager at Viking Genetics to Sveriges Radio (SR).

The company, located in Skara, currently exports bull sperm to some 50 countries. Previously China wasn’t even on the top ten export countries but the country has the intention of becoming self-sufficient in dairy products.

It has therefore vowed to more than double its cow population from 10 to 20 million heifers and Viking Genetics is expecting to sell another 100,000 doses of sperm this year, Wiklert Petersson told SR.

The bulls donate sperm about twice a week. As the sperm is then diluted, the company can get up to 3,000 doses at one time, depending on the bull’s form.

Some of the animals have produced half a million sperm doses in their life time.

“They are brought in and egged to a state of excitement while shown the other handsome bulls that are there for the day and then they donate their sperm, which is later diluted to anything from 300 to 3,000 doses,” said Wiklert Petersson to SR.

The animals’ sperm is thoroughly tested from the age of one, along with their offspring’s resistance to disease, fertility, temperament and milk production.

The Chinese are also to a large extent interested in sperm that has undergone a separation process for gender selection, as they are chiefly interested in heifers for milk production, Wiklert Petersson told SR.

TT/Rebecca Martin
twitter.com/thelocalsweden

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15:46 May 7, 2012 by Svensksmith
Oboy! Maybe they're will be some openings for sperm collectors at the ranch. Now there is something that I have experience in!
15:58 May 7, 2012 by RobinHood
I knew it, first the bees, now it's bull sperm. It's the hedgehogs they're really after.
16:30 May 7, 2012 by gabeltoon
I hope the farmers and the dairy industry are keeping tabs on this. As just about everything you see in the shops is made in CHINA it wont be long before we see MILK and DAIRY PRODUCTS flooding the SCANDANAVIAN and EUROPEAN market. ......... Just a thought...........
16:31 May 11, 2012 by tadchem
Now I'm afraid to have imported Chinese food.
22:06 May 15, 2012 by SockRayBlue
tadchem

The local Chinese food needs to be visited by food inspectors.
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