July 2005

EU imports of Bovine Embryos restricted from 2006
 
* EU imports of Bovine Embryos – Implications of New Trade Rules
 
Last year, EU decision 2004/786/EC effectively closed EU to the importation of embryos from donors with some specific health statuses.  Trade was disrupted for a few months until the abovementioned decision was repealed and a new decision 2005/217/EC replaced it on March 9 2005.
 
This new directive has very important implications for current and future Wagyu breeders in the EU.
 
Effectively the new decision means that embryos made by semen from many of the top Wagyu sires imported from Japan and collected in USA, will not be able to be imported into EU after 31 December 2006. Any such embryos must be collected or produced before January 1, 2006.
 
* Implications for Westholme:

The directive means that the three main Westholme Japan-born and proven sires:
001 Hirashige-Tayasu, 002 Itomoritaka and 003 Kitateruyasu-Doi cannot be used to make embryos for EU beyond 1 January 2006.  These bulls were all collected in USA.
Only sons of these sires can be used as donor sires for EU embryos after that date.
 
* Available Embryos:

At this point in time Westholme do not intend to produce more embryos for EU by the three main sires.  Once current stocks are run down the inventory will not be replenished.
 
So to ensure Fullblood embryos by those sires, out of selected donor dams, act now.
 
* The Three Westholme Sires, 001, 002 and 003:

Embryos by these three sires are extremely important for the future of Fullblood breeding in EU and the rest of the world. Each sire is an outstanding example of his bloodline.
 
The sire Kitateruyasu-Doi (003) is acknowledged widely as a key improver bull for F1 production worldwide because for a Tajiri bull he not only combines outstanding marbling but also above average carcase weights.
 
At Westholme our breeding objectives are not only based on marbling and beef quality, but also to produce heavy carcases with good conformation and females with good mothering ability and milk production.  
 
To that end the sire 002 Itomoritaka produces above average females in mothering ability and milk terms.  He is a high growth bull with very good muscle definition.
 
Last but not least is 001 Hirashige-Tayasu. He is a bull that is balanced for all traits for Fullblood production.  He is probably the only Japanese born bull that left Japan that had been tested in a Japanese Wagyu Association progeny test. 001 combines Tajima blood with Kedaka.


 
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