ASDA dairy farmers to receive a 35% discount on sexed semen

ASDA, has struck a deal with Cogent, the worlds leading bovine sexed semen company to supply their dedicated dairy farmers with sexed semen at a discount of up to 35%.   

A standard 20% discount will be offered on all orders of semen up to 30 straws and a 35% discount will be offered on all orders of 30 straws or more.   

As well as the discount, farmers attending ASDA’s regional ‘best practice’ meetings will receive advice on how to get the best out of using sexed semen as a management tool.     

Sexed semen is likely to play an integral part in many, if not all dairy farmers businesses in the future, said ASDA’s Agricultural Development Manager, Pearce Hughes. 

“The current price and world shortage of dairy heifers coupled with the poor prices for dairy bull calves means it’s an avenue that can’t be ignored.  Many of our farmers have told me that they would like to try sexed semen, but that they couldn’t warrant paying the premium above conventional semen.  By securing this fantastic discount for our farmers we hope it will provide the incentive for them to give it a try.”  

He also suggested sexed semen has advantages that go far further than farm level and can go a long way to mitigating many of the underlying problems facing both the dairy and beef sectors.   

“As well as the obvious benefits at farm level, I also believe sexed semen solves a lot of the wider problems facing the industry; on welfare grounds it saves the need to dispose of unwanted bull calves as well as lowering the frequency of difficult calving’s associated with large bull calves.   

“I also believe that adopting sexed semen as a management tool will lead to more cows being put back to beef bulls, which in turn, will increase the volumes and availability of British beef.”       

The same discounts are available to ASDA dairy farmers wishing to use Cogent’s ‘Triple Impact’ Belgian Blue semen. 

And a straight through, 35% discount is also to be offered on semen from two ‘Coulard’ bulls Cogent are currently marketing.  The Coulard, a composite breed from France, combines the growth of the Charollais with the finer bone, double-muscling and easy calving attributes of the modern Belgian blue.  ASDA are looking to carry out progeny trials on calves sired by these two bulls and are welcoming on-board any dedicated ASDA dairy farmers who wish to participate in such a trial.