VikingGenetics, the Nordic cattle breeding company and the French Artificial Insemination company, Evolution, signed a strategic partnership agreement to increase their collaboration regarding the Jersey cattle breeding population.
Today, representatives of VikingGenetics and Evolution announced that Evolution became a member of the VikingJersey breeding program since August 2018. With a long commercial tradition, the companies has now upgraded their partnership that will turn into many different benefits for the Jersey dairy farmers in France and in VikingGenetics´ home markets; Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
“The French jersey farmers will be members of the world’s best Jersey genetic program. This decision of VikingGenetics and Evolution will give Jersey dairy farmers in France not only access to top genetics but a voice in the VikingJersey´ breeding program”, David Stenkær Ravnkilde, Head of Business Development of VikingGenetics, states.
On the other hand, Jersey dairy farmers in the Nordic countries will increase their chance to breed even better animals. “Farmers in the Nordic has been working to position VikingJersey breeding program at the top spot, and we are happy to announce that now we have a bigger breeding population and connections to a very loyal partner in Europe that will increase our market share in France”. Stenkær Ravnkilde sums up.
The agreement is officially signed in the frame of the SPACE Expo in France and is the first step VikingGenetics takes in order to strengthen the VikingJersey breeding program. Through access to the French Jersey population, it will be possible to enhance selection opportunities to have excellent animals in the dairy plan to assure more genetic progress.
“The genetic progress will be reflected in the farms in France because all the farmers will have access to the very best bulls in the breeding program. From now on, the farmers in France will use the same bulls as in the Nordic countries right away”, Peter Larson, Manager for VikingJersey, explains.
Common breeding goal
The common breeding goal for the Jersey in VikingGenetics and Evolution made it ease to end up in this strategical agreement. “The breeding goal of VikingGenetics is the most connected with the French Jersey demand: a healthy cow with good fertility, functional conformation and high production of solids”, David Girod, Product manager – dairy breeds´ at Evolution, clarifies.
The VikingJersey breeding program will now be managed in the same way both in home markets and in France. French jersey cattle breeding will be part of the animals available to be selected as donors or as recipients for the VikingEmbryo program.
Moreover, dairy farmers can now count with the possibility to sell bulls to VikingJersey to be used in the dairy program and can now use sexed semen from VikingJersey top bulls bringing the next generation of high quality females closer to the French dairy farmers.
At the service of French jersey breeders
This partnership is the result of the EVOLUTION’s investment for the Jersey breed in France in relationship with the french Jersey breed association ”OS JERSIAISE FRANCE”. It’s also a new step who must increase the connexion between EVOLUTION and OS JERSIAISE FRANCE to provide efficient and full support at the service of French Jersey breeders and Jersey breed. Common projects will start to achieve this objective.