Clone International looks to NZ for bulls

Clone International has crossed the Tasman in its search for elite dairy bulls. A joint venture agreement has been signed with NZ artificial breeding company Ambreed New Zealand.

"Ambreed is one of the top genetics companies in New Zealand," said Dr Richard Fry, CEO of Clone International,

He explained that this was why Clone International initially approached Ambreed with a view to forming a partnership. Clone International has a similar agreement with Australian dairy genetics organisation RAB Australia.

Ambreed currently has the two top dairy bulls in New Zealand, Amadeus and Extasy. Clone International intends to clone these two bulls in the near future.

"Once the cloned calves are fertile (at about 12 months) their semen will be harvested and exported to satisfy the currently unmet demand for semen from these top dairy bulls," said Fry.

Clone International announced earlier this year that it had sold two cloned calves from Australian elite bull Donor, for $200,000 each in Asia. More cloned calves are due to be born later this year.

Demand for semen from elite dairy bulls is high, both domestically and internationally. A single bull can produce about 130,000 straws of semen per year, at a cost of $25 per straw, but this is only enough for the domestic market.

Ambreed CEO Graham Bowen said that cloning elite bulls not only satisfied demand in Australia and New Zealand but also allowed overseas dairy farmers to obtain access to elite genetics.

The domestic and international market would be worth in excess of $5 million, he said.

According to Fry, both partners would have an interest in the clones.

"Our business plan is to be able to offer the genetics from Australia and New Zealand to overseas clients as well as domestically," said Fry.

The cloning for Ambreed will take place in New Zealand. Clone International is already partnered with Celentis, the commercial arm of New Zealand's AgResearch organisation and a world-class cloning facility in its own right.

In addition, Clone International is the sole Australasian holder of a commercial licence from Geron, the US based company that has the patents for the nuclear transfer technology used to clone Dolly the sheep.

The licence allows Clone International to use the technology for agricultural applications.