Beef Genetics News

U.S. Bovine Semen Slipped 4% in 2025, Exports Hit Record $327M

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:06:23 GMT

Even with a major export market disappearing early in the year, the U.S. bovine genetics industry proved its resilience in 2025.

New data from the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) , which represents roughly 95% of the U.S. artificial insemination industry, shows total semen sales slipped about 4% in 2025 to just under 66 million units - a decline of 2.9 million compared with 2024, effectively giving back last year’s modest gain. However, the industry offset much of that loss through stronger beef demand, expanded export markets and continued shifts in dairy breeding strategies.

China Closes Doors, Global Markets Evolve

In February 2025, U.S. bovine semen exports to China came to an abrupt standstill after Chinese authorities halted the issuance of required veterinary health certificates, cutting off one of the industry’s key export channels. The disruption stemmed from regulatory and trade tensions, not animal health concerns. Without the certificates, U.S. exporters had to redirect product to other markets.

“While dairy unit exports were down due to the closure of the China market, exports to other countries increased, which significantly reduced the impact of the closure,” says Jay Weiker, president of NAAB.

Even with China offline, robust interest from Europe, Brazil, North Africa and South Asia helped steady the export picture.

“The industry not only stabilized but continued to advance by strengthening long-standing markets and opening new ones,” says NAAB international program director Sophie Eaglen.

The closure of China also reshaped the list of top semen buyers by value. In 2025, the United Kingdom led the rankings, followed by Italy and Mexico. Brazil led in total units imported, followed by Mexico and Russia. Overall, 46 markets imported over $1 million in U.S. semen, accounting for 94% of export units and 95% of export value.

A Down Year for Dairy

The U.S. dairy semen market experienced a substantial decline in 2025, reflecting ongoing shifts in breeding strategies and global market pressures. Total dairy unit sales, including domestic, export and custom-collected units, fell 6% compared to 2024, a loss of roughly 3 million units, bringing the total to 45.8 million.

Despite the overall decline, domestic use showed a slight rebound, increasing 2% to 16.5 million units, or nearly 367,000 additional units. Sexed semen continued to dominate U.S. herds, rising 6% to 10.6 million units and now accounting for 64% of all dairy semen used domestically. Conventional dairy semen declined by 280,000 units, highlighting the continued trend toward precision breeding and genomic selection.

Exports for dairy semen totaled 28.3 million units, down about 2.5 million from 2024. The early-year closure of the China market contributed to the drop, but exports to other countries, particularly across Europe, Brazil, North Africa and South Asia, helped offset much of the lost volume. NAAB says strong international demand for replacement heifers continues to create opportunities for U.S. dairy producers.

Beef Semen Sees a Bump

The beef segment saw modest growth in 2025, reversing a multi-year decline. Total beef semen sales increased by 1%, or roughly 122,000 units, to reach 20.2 million units. Domestic use accounted for most of that growth, with beef units sold into beef herds rising 7% for the second consecutive year. In total, 9.8 million beef units were used domestically, with 8.1 million going into dairy herds and 1.7 million used in traditional beef herds.

Heterospermic beef semen, which combines genetics from multiple sires in a single straw, remains a significant portion of the market, though it declined from its 2024 peak of 2.8 million units to just over 2 million in 2025. Domestically, heterospermic units represented 2 million of the total, with 400,000 units exported. Angus remains the dominant beef breed, followed by crossbreeds and heterospermic products.

Export demand for beef genetics also continues to expand. Total beef semen exports grew 13% to 5.5 million units, underscoring the global appetite for U.S. genetics even as total semen unit exports declined overall.

Beef-on-Dairy Genetics Hold Steady

Beef-on-dairy genetics have become an increasingly important strategy for U.S. dairy producers, and 2025 was no exception. Domestic use remained steady at 8.1 million units, while exports of beef-on-dairy semen grew 13%, adding approximately 279,000 units.

This segment is fueled by genomic selection strategies that allow dairy producers to produce replacement heifers from their best animals while using beef sires on the remainder of the herd to create high-value F1 calves for feedlots. Adoption is also growing internationally, with rising demand for F1 calves and crossbred genetics, reinforcing the role of U.S. dairy producers in meeting both domestic and global needs.

Adaptive Trends and Future Opportunities

Despite the year’s unit declines, the industry is adjusting and finding its footing as global demand shifts and new breeding tools and market opportunities come along.

“Trends in semen usage reflect producers’ efforts to improve genetic outcomes and economic returns in an evolving marketplace,” Weiker says. “NAAB members should be complimented for their commitment to developing new markets and increasing market share in strategically important markets. There are many positives that can be gleaned from the 2025 results.”

With export value at record levels and beef-on-dairy strategies growing, the industry appears positioned for continued adaptation and progress in years ahead.

How Missouri is Turning to Genetics and Technology to Boost Cattle Profits

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:46:21 GMT

Missouri’s cattle industry is experiencing a wave of optimism. Prices are soaring, herds are rebuilding and innovations in genetics and technology are transforming the business. At the center of it all is a homegrown initiative that’s quietly reshaping the future of beef production: the Show-Me Select Replacement Heifer Program .

Since 1997, this University of Missouri Extension program has become the gold standard for replacement heifer development, bringing cutting-edge science and data to pastures across the state.

Boom for Beef Producers

Cattle prices are climbing to levels not seen in years — and for longtime producers, the rewards have been hard-earned.

“It’s hard not to be in a good mood if you’re a cattle producer right now,” says Zac Erwin, regional livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for for about the last decade.”

Erwin has worked with cattle producers for nearly 20 years, helping them navigate the ups and downs of a notoriously cyclical business. After the market peaked in 2013 and 2014, it plummeted in 2015 and stayed low for nearly a decade. Those who held on through lean years are now seeing the payoff.

“Those that were able to maintain inventory are certainly getting paid for their efforts,” Erwin says. “We’re also seeing new money coming into the business because of the profitability we’re currently experiencing.”

Grassroots Effort Becomes a National Model

The Show-Me Select Replacement Heifer Program was born out of a simple idea: add value to what was once considered an undervalued commodity — the heifer calf. It began as a grassroots initiative and has since grown into a model replicated across the U.S.

“This is really the gold standard for heifer replacement in the country,” Erwin says. “It started to raise the value of an undervalued commodity — and over the years, it’s snowballed.”

At its core, the program is about technology transfer: taking the latest university research — whether in breeding, pregnancy detection or genetics — and putting it directly into the hands of Missouri cattle producers.

Breeding Smarter with Technology

In the early days, the program focused on artificial insemination (AI) and ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis. Today, it’s moving into genomics and advanced reproductive tools that could revolutionize herd-building.

One of the newest developments is Doppler ultrasonography, championed by Thiago Martins, beef production state specialist at the University of Missouri. This technology allows producers to check a cow or heifer just 20 days after AI — a significant improvement over the traditional 28-day window.

“By exposing cows to two rounds of AI in 24 days, we got 85% of those animals pregnant,” Martins says. “If you compare that to natural service over 60 to 90 days, which gets you around 9% bred, the difference is huge.”

For producers looking to rebuild their herds with better genetics, this technology could be a game-changer.

Genomics: Peeling Back the Hide

The future of replacement heifer selection isn’t just about breeding more animals — it’s about breeding better animals.

“Genomic testing, especially on the commercial side, is relatively new to the beef industry,” explains Jamie Courter, state beef genetics Extension specialist. “With Show-Me Plus, producers can use DNA samples to unlock deeper insights into their heifers’ genetic potential.”

By understanding traits that can’t be seen — like longevity, calving ease and heifer pregnancy — producers can make more informed decisions. And while some are initially hesitant due to testing costs, Courter says the return on investment is clear.

“If you can show up at the sale barn with calves out of high genetic merit for traits like carcass weight, marbling and ribeye, buyers notice,” she says. “They love having that risk management — knowing what to expect when those cattle enter the feedyard.”

Proven Premiums and Long-Term Payoffs

The numbers speak for themselves. According to Erwin, Show-Me Select heifers routinely bring $200 to $300 more per head than comparable animals not in the program.

“Most sales this fall will be in the $4,000 range — and even above,” he says. “Over time, you build a reputation. Repeat buyers come back, and that puts more money in producers’ pockets. Those who stick with the program through good times and bad see the biggest rewards.”

Beyond the dollars, the program has had a transformative impact on rural communities, improving operations and livelihoods across Missouri.

Looking Ahead

The next Show-Me Select Replacement Heifer sale is set for Nov. 21 at the Joplin Regional Stockyards in Carthage, Mo., featuring around 275 spring-calving heifers. It’s more than just a sale; it’s a showcase of how genetics, technology and trusted branding can add real value to Missouri’s beef industry.

As Erwin puts it, “This program changes people’s lives.” And in today’s high-stakes cattle market, it may just shape the next decade of beef production.

Maximizing Profit and Opportunity: Sell, Keep or Buy Open Cows?

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 19:51:32 GMT

The goal for every cow should be to produce a calf every 365 days. One of the hardest decisions at pregnancy check time is deciding what to do with open or late-bred cows.

Kansas State University veterinarian Bob Larson says cows that don’t rebreed or that calve late are often sold because they no longer fit into a producer’s management program.

When deciding which option is best for an open cow, it is important to consider multiple economic and management perspectives.

Larson explains there are two producer approaches to open cows:

Detail-oriented, tight breeding program. He says these managers “run a really good, tight ship.” These producers calve early, keep costs under control, sell all opens and even late bred cows because they don’t fit their tight management system.
Risk-takers, opportunity seekers. “The other group who are pretty economically viable are guys who will do anything,” Larson says. “They are looking for undervalued cattle to add value to them.” These producers will keep or even buy open or late bred cows with the goal to increase value and profitability.

During a recent “ Beef Cattle Institute Cattle Chat ,” Larson and his K-State colleagues Brad White and Brian Lubbers, veterinarians; Phillip Lancaster, beef cattle nutritionist; and Dustin Pendell, ag economist, discussed cull cows. The team shares these considerations when evaluating cull cows.

Reproductive factors. Lancaster says an important question to consider is if an open cow results from a reproductive biology issue or a nutrition problem. The consensus by the Beef Cattle Institute team was that determining the exact cause can be challenging and each cow requires individual assessment. White says first-calf heifers can be a challenge due to nutrition needs and the fact they’re still growing.
Economic analysis. Pendell emphasizes the importance of putting pencil to paper and calculating costs of keeping an open cow versus selling. The cull cow market tends to have seasonal value changes. For example, White says in the fall the cull cow market tends to be lower because of the large influx of open spring-calving cows.

To overcome this potential loss in value producers could retain ownership. Larson explains winter feeding costs could be up to $2 per day. If low winter-feeding options are available, retaining ownership and feeding to add weight and trying to re-breed for next-season calving could add value to the cow. The producer could then sell as a bred cow or keep.

Another option discussed was feeding the cow as a feeder. Larson explains previous research investigating the use of a growth implant and putting the cull cow on the corn diet. He says this is a good option if the cow is thin, as she will gain efficiently and could add profit to the cow compared to selling during a lower market.

Open cows can be viewed as either a loss or an opportunity, depending on a producer’s management approach.

White summarizes the cull cow strategy by saying: “Producers don’t have to make a knee-jerk reaction. It might not be the same every year, depending on feed cost and forage availability. Do the math and decide.”

Listen to the podcast .

Your next read: Cull Cows – Should They Stay or Should They Go? And When Should They Go?

Playing the Long Game: What Works at G Bar C Ranch

Fri, 24 May 2024 15:30:55 GMT

By mid-morning you can already feel the sun’s heat on your skin, a reminder that the searing Texas sun looms large at G Bar C Ranch north of Dallas, even in early May. On this unassuming Thursday, several dozen ranchers, conservationists and ag retailers have gathered in the shade amidst the verdant green pasture and limestone outcroppings to learn from G Bar C’s second-generation rancher, Meredith Ellis, at the kickoff of Trust In Beef’s Sustainable Ranchers Tour.

The tour is moving across the U.S. this summer, spotlighting regenerative ranches and hosting field days where producers can meet and learn from each other.

“We’re showing what can be done at G Bar C Ranch today, what resources are available and the steps that they have taken to get to this point,” said Jimmy Emmons, Oklahoma rancher and SVP of Climate-Smart Programs at Farm Journal.

According to Emmons, in- person field days like the Sustainable Ranchers Tour are crucial to helping ranchers improve their livestock, land and profitability.

“It’s all about the journey—it’s not a quarter-mile race, it’s a marathon,” Emmons said. “We improve one step at a time, one practice at a time.”

Learn more about the Trust In Beef’s Sustainable Ranchers Tour

This morning, as the crowd of producers gather and sip their coffee, ready to glean insights to take back home, most eyes are watching the sky, observing gathering storm clouds on the horizon. Even if rain would dampen an otherwise sunny day at G Bar C Ranch, in Texas—a state plagued with persistent drought—rain is always a welcome sight.

Ellis, a seasoned rancher in her early forties, gathers in front of the crowd, ready to share the ins and outs of her ranch operation. Unlike most days where she works in relative solitude, today she is flanked by soil scientists, researchers and technical experts, ready to share their perspective and insights in a day of boots-on- the-ground demonstration and learning – rain or shine.

Flipping the Script: No Longer About Pounds of Beef

“It looks like a pollinators paradise out here with all the wildflowers,” AgriTalk host, Chip Flory, told Ellis at the Sustainable Ranchers Tour. “The combination of the native grasses and the grazing grasses you’ve got…it’s part of the plan, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely, it’s part of the plan and we’ve documented over 660 species that call our ranch home. On top of that, about 110 species of birds that call our ranch home,” Ellis replied, eying the horizon. “Managing that landscape with ruminant animals as they’ve existed for millennia throughout our national grazing lands is something I’m very passionate about.”

Despite multiple degrees and years of experience under her belt, according to Ellis, she will always be the apprentice at G Bar C Ranch. Carrying on the life’s work of her father, GC Ellis, and ranch manager, Michael Knabe, Ellis takes to heart her family’s legacy of caring for the land and the cattle that call it home.

Historically, like many ranches across the U.S., G Bar C Ranch has focused on pounds of beef produced as a measure of profit and success. But, in recent years, Ellis has taken a hard look at what it costs “to get from point A to point B”, discovering that, in the long term, focusing on maternal genetics in her over 200 mother cows are key to both profitability and a healthy herd.

“What’s most important to me is that we keep and retain our own replacement females,” Ellis said. “We’re looking at making females that fit our program, that fit our landscape. Our interest right now is in efficiency and maternal aspects—having some happy mamas that are real happy be here [on our land].”

While Ellis currently participates in the conventional beef supply chain, selling her black Angus calves at the sale barn in El Reno, Oklahoma, managing her herd amounts to more than just raising meat for market.

Soil Health: At the Root of Everything

According to Ellis, she views her cows as just one of the many species that enjoy the rolling hills, grassy pasture and clear water on her 3,000-acre ranch.

“There’s no aspect of the ecological system that goes overlooked on this ranch,” said Ellis. “We try to adapt our management practices in order to take care of every aspect of ecology that we have.”

I consider our ranch to be a living laboratory, continued Ellis.

“That means that if there’s a researcher, a rancher, whoever it be, anytime that I speak with someone and get interested in what they’re doing, I walk away with a little gold in my pocket,” she said.

Collaborating, learning and improving is critical to adapting ranching practices in the face of extreme weather, natural disasters and drought in North Texas, according to Ellis. Finding new strategies to foster biodiversity and healthy soils through thoughtful, prescribed grazing practices has been a north star guiding ranch management at G Bar C Ranch.

To Ellis, not only do prescribed grazing practices support a heathy, profitable herd, but they also promote soil health – the foundation of a thriving, well-managed, resilient landscape.

Read about G Bar C Ranch’s NCBA’s Environmental Stewardship Award Program recognition

Texas based NRCS soil scientist, John Sackett, takes soil health’s benefits even one step further.

“Soil health, in a sense, drought- proofs our ranches,” said Sackett. “If the soil is healthy, it can take in more water, so we have a higher effective rainfall, and we have healthier plants that are better able to withstand the drought.”

Keeping Working Lands Working

Big picture, it’s not enough to manage a healthy herd and promote thriving ranch lands. The reality for many is that stewardship includes safeguarding ranchland against development and urban sprawl for future generations. For many Texas ranches today, this is not a given.

“In this day, successional planning is one of the biggest hurdles in keeping working lands working,” said Ellis.

In fact, the Lone Star State gains 1,400 people moving to the state daily and the drumbeat of urban sprawl is only getting louder, shared Chad Ellis, CEO of Texas Agricultural Land Trust, echoing Meredith Ellis’ concerns.

Like drought, year after year of urban sprawl continue to threaten open spaces across Texas, with no reprieve on the horizon.

“We’re losing over 1,000 acres a day of working lands,” said Chad Ellis. “Lands [like we see at G Bar C Ranch] that are providing goods and services to the public.”

When Meredith Ellis looks to the future, she envisions leaving an economically and ecologically resilient G Bar C Ranch for the next generation of the Ellis family with ranch lands that boast clear water, rich soil and a healthy, thriving cow calf operation.

“That’s what it’s all about—my nine- year- old boy,” Ellis said.