[inline_image file=”4ae3f2bdab15376a15e38230d650fb5d.jpg” caption=”Nelore breed of beef cattle in Itapebi County of Bahia, Brazil. USDA photo by Scott Bauer.”]
U.S. cattle semen exports to Brazil reached a record high in 2020, and 2021 could be another record year, according to the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. A new report released in early March by the agency titled The Brazilian Bovine Genetics Market and U.S. Exports laid out the last year of semen demand in the country.
Brazil was the No. 1 destination for U.S. semen exports in 2019, but second to China in 2020. As use of artificial insemination (AI) in the country grows, so does demand for high-quality semen.
In 2020, Brazil recorded record use of AI, and import sales totaled a record $36.4 million. Angus genetics dominate the playing field, and the market for the breed’s genetics is expected to double over the next four to five years.
Domestic semen production and imports in 2020 reached 25.6 million doses, 29.5 percent more than 2019. Demand has partially been influenced by high cattle prices. About 88 percent of all semen exports in 2020 were Angus, the remainder mostly consisting of Brangus, Red Angus, Braford and Senepol.
“A weak Brazilian currency coupled with strong exports of Brazilian beef has supported producer profits in the beef sector,” the report read. “High cattle prices have only served to accelerate the growing demand for animals that can be bred at an earlier age and their offspring that can be slaughtered at an earlier age. This has mostly been accomplished by using AI and high-quality genetics.”
Cattle system
Brazil has the largest commercial cattle herd in the world with approximately 238 million head, and beef cattle making up 57 percent of the population. For comparison, the U.S. has about 95 million head of cattle. Nelore cattle are the predominant breed in the country, which are known for their heat tolerance, insect and disease resistance, and productivity on poor forage. However, the breed is not known for their carcass quality.
Hence, this is why producers in the country are wanting to bring another breed into the mix for better carcass results. However, purebred Angus cattle are not well suited to the tropical climate of the top cattle-producing states in the center west of the country, which is why producers in the region want to use AI to improve their herds’ carcass value.
The F1 cross of a Nelore/Angus provides heat and tick tolerance while improving carcass value and meat quality. A popular system in the country is to breed the heifer of a Nelore/Angus cross at 14 months, then be weaned and the F1 cross mother cow be marketed at 30 months.
In order to increase demand for Angus beef and add value for ranchers, the Brazilian Angus Association created a certification system called Brazilian Angus Beef. Under the program, cattle must have at least 50 percent proven Angus genetics. This differs from the U.S. program, which only uses color and carcass characteristics to determine qualification.
In addition to Angus genetics demand, Brangus genetics are also popular due to their adaptability to tropical conditions, along with their carcass quality over Nelore cattle. Heifers from the F1 Nelore/Angus cross are often bred to Brangus genetics. Argentina is the primary supplier of Brangus genetics to Brazil.
The use of beef semen on dairy cattle is also becoming increasingly popular in Brazil, as it is in the U.S. Calves of Holstein, Gir, and Holstein/Gir crosses are not valued for their meat quality, but crossing an Angus or other European-origin breed with a dairy animal increases their calves’ value. Greater beef-on-dairy demand is also leading to greater use of sexed-semen. Sexed-semen demand was up 200 percent in 2020 and is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. — Anna Miller, WLJ editor
