Semen Import and Export

MVS has an experienced team that is able to assist with both the import and export of frozen equine semen. We have an excellent relationship with MPI which is a great help when querying requirements and for the efficient clearance of semen. It is crucial when importing or exporting semen to ensure that the import requirements set in place by the receiving country are met in full as failure to meet these requirements will lead to semen being returned or destroyed upon arrival. The team at MVS are able to assist with the reviewing of this documentation prior to the transportation of the semen to minimise the chance of delays during transit and to help make a potentially stressful process stress free for you.

Importing

Importing semen from countries all over the world is a very effective and efficient method to not only introduce new genetics into a breed or population, but also to accelerate genetic gain. This is particularly important in a small country like New Zealand where the gene pool for many breeds can become limited.

New Zealand is one of, if not the strictest country to import equine semen into. New Zealand is a very lucky country to be free of so many diseases and maintaining this biosecurity is paramount. Given the costs involved with stud fees and importation costs, we recommend that initially you take the time to talk to us about what is involved in importing semen to New Zealand. It is much easier to liaise with the collection centre during the collection period to ensure all the correct tests are carried out before and after the semen is collected and frozen, as opposed to applying for dispensation from MPI if requirements are not fully met, which unfortunately is not always granted.

Besides all the MPI import requirements and paperwork, it is also important that you make informed decisions regarding what you are purchasing. Adequate numbers of straws and the quality of the frozen semen is paramount to optimising success after artificial insemination with frozen-thawed semen. There is nothing more disheartening than spending time and money on collecting, freezing and importing frozen semen from overseas, only to later find out that you have inadequate numbers of straws for the number of AI’s you wish to carry out.

Tips on Importing semen:

• Give yourself plenty of time:
  Importing semen takes a lot of organisation in both countries and requires papers to be signed by government departments, which is a lengthy process!
• Import as much semen as economically and practically feasible:
  The freight charges are calculated on weight and dimensions of the tank, so therefore it will cost you the same to import one dose as it would to import ten or more doses (except for the import GST).
• Get as much information regarding the semen before committing to the purchase:
  i.e. quality, concentration, number of straws per dose, fertility history of the stallion, has the frozen semen been used successfully in breeding programmes, percentage normal sperm etc. We are more than happy to interpret this information for you and provide advice on the minimum number of straws that you will require per dose to meet the international minimum levels.
• Sharing a semen tank to import semen:
  Do you have any like-minded breeders that may want to import semen from the same country as you? Where possible, we will combine shipments to make the process more economical for all involved. We work closely with a company in Australia where we import and export shipments to on a regular basis, so depending on the time frame in which the semen is required this may be an option for you.

Exporting

The stallion semen collection centre at MVS is a MPI-approved centre allowing us to collect and freeze semen for export to Australia, and the USA. A number of requirements need to be met when collecting for Australia including a stand down period where no natural service has taken place, collection using a phantom mare, and in most cases a post-collection EVA test. The EVA history and status of your stallion is therefore required upon entry to our centre so we can determine what tests need to be carried out. New Zealand is fortunate in that a number of diseases which are of concern overseas are not present in New Zealand, therefore making our requirements when exporting semen significantly less than when importing semen. However, like when importing, all requirements set in place by the receiving country need to be met exactly, so prior to any collections taking place for export the receiving country’s requirements are investigated fully to ensure no changes have taken place.

MPI is currently in talks with the EU finalising quarantine requirements for frozen equine semen being exported to the EU. If you are interested in collecting semen for export to the EU please contact us and we will advise as soon as this service is available.

All semen exported from MVS is accompanied by a full semen assessment report which outlines the post thaw motility, the concentration the semen is frozen at and the number of straws required per dose.