Exporting & Importing: What to Expect

by Hillary Kvamme, Elgin Breeding Service

We see it every day with modern technology: pictures of the newest calf born in a country thousands of miles from the bull that sired it. While this seems to be a rather routine undertaking, after all, we see the pictures and hear the stories constantly, the process it takes to get that calf on the ground in a different country, or different continent, than its sire is one that is carefully orchestrated before the bull even comes into a semen collection facility.

For every country semen is exported to from the U.S., there are a different set of requirements of which to be aware. Semen collection facilities that are members of Certified Semen Services, (CSS) are held to a higher standard and are required to test according to a carefully-outlined health testing schedule on each bull that comes into the facility. When it comes to a bull being tested for export, that required health testing and schedule is much more laborious and time-dependent.

To qualify for export, for most countries, basic CSS testing is all that is necessary. However, there are some countries that require additional testing, which is why we always ask when bulls come in to be tested for export if there are any specific countries f0r which his semen needs to qualify. With this information, we are able to pull up the most recent health certificate outline for those requested countries and verify we are completing everything required to ensure an easy and surprise-free export process.

Bulls tested for export in our facility will get two Tuberculosis (TB) tests 60 days apart. The tests remaining for the CSS protocol are done within this period, including a series of six Trichomoniasis and Vibriosis tests, two Brucellosis tests, two Leptospirosis tests, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis, and Bovine Viral Diarrhea tests done 30 days apart, and including different test methods. Initial testing also includes: Johnes, Q-Fever, Vesicular Stomatitis, and Leukosis tests. Some may think that the amount of testing done is excessive at the time of semen collection. However, when the export is in process and the proper testing has been done at the right time, the amount of testing seems unimportant.

Another aspect of preparing the semen for export falls on the facility itself. Bulls are kept separately depending on their testing status. Bulls that are only being collected for domestic semen are kept in a completely different barn than those that are being collected for export. A bull being collected for domestic semen only will begin his stay in our pre-pre entry barn. Once his initial testing is completed with negative results, he moves, and stays, in our pre-entry barn. Bulls that come in for export begin in the same manner, but will graduate to the isolation barn once we have received negative results on health testing. Sixty days after the initial TB is read, bulls collecting export approved semen will have another TB administered. Once this is read and negative, the bull will move to the resident herd barn.

In each of these barns, there is a separate jump ring, jump stalls, and chute. Once a bull has graduated to the next-level barn, he never goes down to the previous barn. He is always collected, tested and worked in the barn associated with his health test position. This is vital to prevent possible spread of disease. Everything we do in each of these barns must be different. From boots to equipment, we must safeguard all of the bulls’ negative test standing.

So, why when you come visit Elgin Breeding Service, or any other CSS-approved facility, do we make you put on those inconvenient plastic booties? The answer is easy, and essentially the entire semen export industry depends on those plastic booties. The answer is what gives importing countries peace of mind in semen coming from the U.S. The answer is biosecurity. We must ensure when you come onto our facility, that you are not bringing any trace of bacteria or disease that could impact the future of semen export – for your bull, as well as all the others.

The export process itself is a twisted road of politics, requirements and paperwork. We, as semen producers, cannot dictate what is required and we cannot change what importing countries require. We always encourage our foreign clients to get as involved in their country’s import process as possible. The residents of importing countries are the only people that can make things easier for their semen imports. We must continue to test bulls to guarantee that disease is not being spread to other countries. We must continue to stay informed with changes at Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) and what negotiations they are undertaking. Having a working relationship with USDA-APHIS will continue to enable us to have the most up-to-date knowledge of new regulations and requirements. Having our international clients continue to have a working relationship with their equivalent of APHIS and USDA is just as vital to the semen trade, and is always highly encouraged. Working together now and in the future, we can ensure that the international semen market does not become an impossible undertaking.