Foreign Artificial Insemination is No Sticky Business for Costa Rican Cows.

Semen from Jersey, Hosltein and Pardo Suizo breed bulls is in high demand from Costa Rican cattle farmers to artificially inseminate their female cows. The amount of semen being imported from countries such as Holland, the United States, New Zealand and others is on the rise. About 40,000 doses of seamen (of 0.25 milliliters each) are imported annually to impregnate cows to improve their breeding, strength, milk production, health and build. Each doses could cost between $7 and $50.

The Holstein breed from Holland is currently the top milk producer among all other breeds. For this reason, Holland has enjoyed status as a world leader in milk and cheese production. Hoping to improve these industries in their own country, farmers in Costa Rica are most interested in importing bull semen from this country. They must be careful however, that the imported breeds can handle the heat in Costa Rica, which could cut down on their milk production.

In Costa Rica, the company Genetica Global imports the bovine semen and makes sure all levels of preparation and handling comply with sanitation regulations in the country. They encase the seamen in long straws and freeze them until it is ready to be used. Seamen can last up to 20 years in the frozen state. When it comes time for the fertilization process, each cow is given two doses of seamen.

A large percentage of cows in Costa Rica are artificially inseminated, a process that could cost between $15 and $100 per cow, depending on the quality of seamen used. Dos Pinos says that 85% of their cows are impregnated in this way, leaving the local bulls to search for greener pastures.

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Filed under: Costa Rican Wildlife on April 10th, 2008