Dairy Genetics

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.

GenoSource Has Grown Into One of the Most State-of-the-Art Dairies You'll Find in the U.S.

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 22:11:18 GMT

The Milk Business Leader in Technology Award is given to a farm that focuses on the implementation of technology to improve dairy operations in terms of ROI, labor, time management, etc. GenoSource was named the 2024 Milk Business Leader in Technology Award Winner during the 2024 MILK Business Conference in December.
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At first glance, these two might just look like typical business partners, but peel back the layers, and it’s clear Tim Rauen and Kyle Demmer are more than just that.

“We’re coworkers, we’re partners and we’re best friends,” says Kyle Demmer, COO of GenoSource. “Pretty much everything we do, we kind of bounce ideas off each other and just feed off each other.”

Tim Rauen, CEO of GenoSource, and Kyle Demmer, COO of GenoSource, give a tour of their facilities where they milk 4,000 cows milk in a 90-stall rotary parlor. Their cows are milked 3x/day and average 90 lbs/day with a 4.5% Butterfat and a 3.5% Protein.

(Mike Byers )

It’s a partnership in every sense, but the dairy is also anything but typical.

GenoSource all started with a dream a decade ago; a dream to have a company created by dairy producers for dairy producers. The vision seemed simple but was complex in reality. The dairy farmers wanted to create a modern cow but one that excelled in a freestall environment, had fewer health issues and could convert feed at an efficient rate.

“And now we’re 10 years into this partnership and GenoSource, and I don’t think anyone would change a thing about it,” says Tim Rauen, CEO of GenoSource.

The partnership now involves 8 families, whom all have a love for Holsteins and share a goal of creating a more sustainable future for the next generation.

(GenoSource)

An Early Believer in Genomics
A decade into the partnership, GenoSource has grown into more than these families ever imagined. The partnership now involves eight families, who all love Holsteins and share a goal of creating a more sustainable future for the next generation.

“Being an early believer in genomics, I followed technology, graduated college in 2008, and I told myself we got to follow technology; we’ve got to lead technology for the industry, and we drove right into it,” Rauen says. “We had a lot of naysayers that said, ‘Hey, this isn’t going to work. You shouldn’t go this direction,’ but we did. We put our foot on the gas, and we put the hammer down with it.”

To achieve the highest possible results, GenoSource prides their operation on the integrity of their day-to-day work, their capability to fill the next industry-leading demand and the philosophy of breeding a more profitable cow by investing in some of the world’s greatest genetics. GenoSource believes that genetic advancement is what will help develop the ideal cow for the future.

(Russ Hnatusko )

By homing in on the genetics early on with genomic testing, it’s their ability to grasp onto a plethora of technologies that’s taken this dairy to the next level.

“From a genetics standpoint, we took the herd that we bought, we put embryos into them and ran an extensive embryo program from day one to roll the herd over to the kind of cows we believed in milking,” Rauen says. “We were milking 2,200 cows at the time, and when we came in to it, we were milking about 70 lb. per cow with a 3.4% butterfat and a 2.8% protein. So since then, we’re at 95 lb. per cow. We’re at a 4.6% fat in a 3.5% protein.”

A Growth Mindset
GenoSource expects to be milking 4,800 cows by next summer, as GenoSource excels at improving genetics, cow comfort, nutrition and management, all through technology.

“On the genetics side of things, I look at genomic testing, I look at IVF work,” Rauen says. “Then, I go into cow comfort. We utilize the tunnel ventilation side of things. I go into the parlor. There’s many tools inside the parlor that the technology has advanced over the years. And then on the management side, there’s many things from the database side of things and monitoring tools that are cow monitoring collars. There’s multiple levels of that. So, all four of those have many, many layers of technology, and I don’t think you can ignore any of those. And you just got to look at all of them and see how you can improve the herd.”

Barns Packed With Technology
Their barns are also packed with technology. The dairy installed tunnel ventilation and smart control in 2021, as the dairy was forced to rebuild after the devastating derecho tore through their farm in august of 2020.

“Prior to the derecho, we were looking at putting tunnel ventilation in,” Rauen says. “We were looking at adding another barn to the facility as we want to grow and melt more cows. And it was that time where when we had to do that remodel, it pretty much forced our hand and said, ‘Hey, let’s go get tunnel ventilation done to our barns.’”

The team decided to expand the barns to add additional rows, which Rauen says was a big change. And while it was frightening financially to make that decision, he’s glad they did.

New construction across GenoSource are signs of more progress underway today, with GenoSource in the middle of putting in a new methane digester, a new maternity barn and a dry cow calving facility.

(Mike Byers )

New Construction: Signs of More Progress Underway
Today, new construction at their dairy is a sign of more progress underway, with GenoSource in the middle of building a methane digester, as well as a new maternity barn.

“We’re also building a new dry cow calving facility. We feel it’s so important when these cows come out day one that everything’s done properly from the cleanliness to colostrum. And also taking care of that cow, so she’s ready to make milk for a full lactation,” Rauen says. “The barn is going to be fully ventilated and have a sprinkler system. There’s a lot of new ideas we’re putting into those facilities, because we’re always looking for ways to increase the cow comfort side of things.

With technology at their fingertips, GenoSource is constantly monitoring their operations.

(Russ Hnatusko )

Work Smarter, Not Harder
The progress hasn’t always been easy, but just look around GenoSource’s state-of-the-art facility, and you can see those investments are paying off.

“Sometimes you need to work smarter, not harder,” Demmer says. “We have the smart sort gate, we have the collars; it makes a lot of people’s jobs a lot easier, and you can be way better at your job.”

With tech like Farmfit, which helps them constantly monitor their animals, it’s that technology that helps the dairy produce a better a better environment for the cows, and it also helps them retain employees.

“Three years ago, we used to lock every all the cows up and give repro shots, vaccines, breed everything out here in the barns,” Demmer says. “Now, we never lock the cows up. We put them in the sort gate and let the cows come to us. As far as injuries and employee safety, it’s all huge. You don’t have to worry about chasing the cows around. I think there’s a huge cost savings, too, and it’s way safer for the cows and the people.”

Cow Comfort is Key
GenoSource has created an environment where these cows are content, which might be the biggest sign of success any dairy can have.

“Some things that excite me the most are the cows are happy,” Rauen says. “So, when you have happy cows, they help pay the bills, and you can come out here 365 days a year, and cows are out here making milk. I always have the motto, ‘you take care of the cows, they’ll take care of you.’”

A dairy that knows no limits, it’s embracing technology that’s allowing GenoSource create new opportunities on their farm.

“Honestly, technology helps you get through some of those challenges, and we’re able to pull the data from different things,” Rauen says. “I think we’re ready for the next 10 years.

That is why GenoSource is the 2024 Milk Business Leader in Technology Award winner.

How to Balance Dairy Sustainability Investments for Greater ROI

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 20:41:55 GMT

This article was written by Nate Birt, Vice President of Trust In Food, a Farm Journal initiative. Learn more at www.trustinfood.com .

Of the more than 30 sustainability practices Steve and Cheryl Schlangen have adopted at SC Dairy in Albany, Minn., the one that has proved most challenging—and the source of their greatest pride—is manure injection.

The owner-operator couple’s journey on that practice illustrates their determination, commitment to excellence and deeply held belief that any dairy producer of any size can make a difference with their stewardship.

“We used to really work hard to get our manure in the soil,” Steve Schlangen explains in a video interview with Trust In Food, Farm Journal’s sustainability initiative. “We hauled it on in the fall, spread it and disked it in at the end of the day. It protected the manure pretty good.”

It wasn’t enough, though. “After you haul liquid manure all day, you need to disk two to three hours at the end of the day to get caught up,” Schlangen recalls. That resulted in a hard, messy job and long work days that slid into nights. He needed the manure to do its job: In addition to running a 60-cow herd, the farm owns and operates 200 acres of row-crop land including corn, soybeans, alfalfa and barley to supply all the dairy’s feed needs.

The Schlangens built their operation from nothing, and their commitment to a successful manure strategy represented the next phase of a lifetime sustainability journey.

Things started to change for the better when the family installed an injector pump on their manure tank and learned to control the flow of manure using a hydraulic motor. “That was really, really nice,” Schlangen says.

“When you were done with that for the day, you were done. Everything was in the ground. It was where you put it and it was at the amount you wanted it in most situations. That was challenging to get there, but it was also very rewarding because we get the most out of our manure.”

He recalls visiting with another farmer whose use of manure had reduced their dependency on synthetic fertilizer, saving money. That ability to solve for one’s needs while optimizing expenses and prioritizing sustainability has stuck with him.

“It does definitely help to have some projects that have a little bit better return so you can afford to do more things,” Schlangen explains.

Beyond the fields—which feature cover crops, buffer strips and sediment basins—the farm’s extensive sustainability investments include a stacking slab that separates manure from water running off the farm; LED lighting and a robotic milker with a variable rate pump to optimize energy usage; and water reuse systems.

To learn more about Schlangen’s operation and his advice to other dairy farmers about the importance of taking proper credit for sustainability investments, watch the video attached to this article.

Q&A With Lindsay Reames, VP, Sustainability & External Relations, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative