Company News

Paul Larmer, CEO of Semex, has been elected to a two-year term as President and Chair of the Board of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Larmer succeeds outgoing president John M. Dunlap, Jr. Since 1922, The Royal has been Canada’s leader in showcasing Canadian agriculture, food and equine excellence. 

Born and raised on an Ontario dairy farm, Paul Larmer has a lifetime of experience in the bovine genetics industry. He is a strong promoter of Canadian agriculture and youth in agriculture, having served as former chair of the OAC Alumni Association, the Ontario 4-H Foundation and as a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Ontario Dairy Youth Trust Fund. Paul is also an accomplished international dairy cattle judge who has adjudicated major competitions in Japan, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. More recently, Paul has been instrumental in leading Semex’s growth globally.

“I’m extremely proud to be stepping into this role as President and Chairman, especially given the stature and impact of those who have served before me in the promotion of Canadian agriculture and equine sport,” says Larmer. “I look forward to working with other Directors and Royal volunteers, as together we build on the strong momentum generated in 2013.”

“The Royal is in the midst of a three-year strategic initiative and we look forward to the leadership and energy Paul will bring to our plans to make The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair an even bigger success,” says Sandra Banks, Chief Executive Officer of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

The Royal is coming off a banner year in 2013 with attendance rising to 312,000 and strong growth in livestock and equestrian competitions.   The 92nd edition of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair runs November 7-16, 2014 at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

To learn more about The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair visit ... Read More...

Recently, Semex sire 0200HO00402 Mainstream Manifold reached the pivotal Millionaire Sire mark at Semex, joining 11 other elite Semex sires that have each produced over one million doses of semen. Semex is an industry leader in delivering the ‘best selling’ sires of their time, which is the truest testament to breeder satisfaction and approval. As Semex's twelfth Millionaire Sire, Manifold is joining an elite fraternity of Semex icons including: R-E-W Buckeye; Ladino Park Talent *RC; Hanoverhill Inspiration; Madawaska Aerostar; Startmore Rudolph; Comestar Lee, Leader, Outside and Lheros; Stouder Morty; and Oliveholme Aeroline. Debuting as the #20 TPI sire in August 2009 from the US Premier™ Young Sire Sampling Program, Manifold has only gained strength as time has passed and he’s added daughters. Following the April 2014 genetic evaluations he now ranks as the #12 TPI and #6 LPI sire, with over 12,400 daughters in his MACE TPI proof. “Manifold comes from a strong cow family that was well-known for their production potential and is backed by eight generations of VG or EX,” says Mike West, Semex Sire Analyst. “He combines his maternal line’s production and type strength with the desirable health and fertility attributes of his sire O Man. Today, Manifold is still one of the top ranked O Man sons, and it’s this combination of the best traits from his sire and maternal line that have gave us the breeding pattern so many dairymen worldwide appreciate and benefit from.” "Manifold is a great example of Semex’s commitment to our customers and their needs,” says Brad Sayles, Semex Vice President, Global Marketing. “He continues to deliver exactly what dairymen are looking for and we’re extremely proud of the success dairymen around the world are having with him. He’s a symbol of our successful proving programs, and our belief in Genetics for Life through healthy, long-lasting and profitable cows.”  
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Semex is excited to announce the release of the World’s #1 Immunity+™ sire, the international genomic superstar 0200HO10049 Rockymountain Lottomax. Semex’s rigorous genomic selection program has resulted in some of the most sought after young sires worldwide including Lottomax’s sire, the genomic giant himself, 0200HO07450 Amighetti Numero Uno. Available worldwide May 1, Lottomax delivers on Semex’s promise of Genetics for Life to our partners, clients and genetic suppliers. Topping GTPI rankings at +2565, he is the World’s #1 Immunity+ sire and joins his own sire in this coveted lineup, siring daughters with less disease building more profitable, longer-lasting herds. All this, along with an impressive +926 NM$ and 0.13% F and breed-leading combined PL and PTAT of +7.8 and +3.52 respectively, make Lottomax one of the hottest young sires in the world.   Having an exceptional maternal line is a common thread in each of thousands of young sires Semex genomic tests each year, and Lottomax’s maternal line is without question exceptional. His dam is a VG-85 Superstition x VG-88 1* Baxter x EX-91 11* Shottle x the famous EX-94 18* Lila Z herself. “At the time of the mating, Super Leita (Lottomax’s dam), was a high-ranking heifer and already on an IVF program,” says Sire Analyst Mike West. “The granddam was a very impressive cow at 87 points in her first lactation, and she’s a descendant of the one and only Lila Z, making the pedigree attractive. When Numero Uno became available as a mating sire, the match up with Super Leita for genomics and phenotype was great!” “Lottomax is a bull that fits well in the marketplace, offering health, fertility, production, type and the stability of a great cow family,” says West. “As an Immunity+ and HealthSmart™ sire, he offers dairymen a decided advantage, and not just on his genetic profile, but with his ability to sire healthy and profitable cows.” As part of Lottomax’s release, a minimum purchase of five doses is required at ... Read More...

Although Spring may never come, at least we can bank on some exciting new Semex bulls with each proof and this proof round did not disappoint. There are some great new additions to our proven sire line‐up while our list of Immunity+ TM sires continues to be solidified as more breeders are discovering this innovative and exclusive Semex product line.
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Highlights and information on EastGen's Component Breed Line-up.
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Regardless of herd size or management style, dairymen want a healthy herd of profitable and efficient cows. The path to breeding and developing this kind of herd got easier when Semex launched its patented Immunity+™ sires. These sires have a naturally high immune response (HIR) and with a 25% heritability, they can help improve the overall herd health and longevity.

Based on the HIR technology developed by Dr. Bonnie Mallard and her colleagues at the University of Guelph, the research surrounding this technology spans decades. The research also shows that HIR cows have 19-30% lower disease incidence compared to herd averages. Also, these cows respond better to commercial vaccines and produce higher quality colostrum. As a result, they are more profitable by bringing in more revenue, lowering costs and wasting less of the dairyman’s time.

“The discovery of HIR was a game changer,” says Jay Shannon, Semex Global Dairy Solutions Manager. “It revealed that high immunity is passed on from parent to progeny at rates much like production and some conformation traits. Compared to most health traits with low heritabilities of <10%, immune response is considered moderately to highly heritable at 25%. This means it can be selected for and improved upon with each generation.”

Joining the proven Immunity+ lineup following the April 2014 genetic evaluation are:


0200HO03730            FLY-HIGHER MANCHILD  (JEEVES x BOLTON)
0200HO06198            GEN-I-BEQ HALAK  (PLANET x GOLDWYN)
0200HO06161            SCHILLVIEW GRANDPRIZE  (PLANET x SHOTTLE)


The following Genomax™ bulls are also designated Immunity+:


0200HO02981            BENNER SANTANA  (MOGUL x ... Read More...

With the April genetic evaluation, Semex reaffirmed our commitment to our clients and their drive for profitable genetics. Working with our clients worldwide, we’re confident our lineup offers dairymen what they are looking for through newly released daughter proven sires, high reliability sires and the youngest and brightest genomic superstars. Second to none, these genomic sires are known as Genomax™ sires at Semex. Once again in April, our Genomax lineup dominated the industry, having three of the top 10, six of the top 20 and nine of the top 30 from Holstein USA's Top 100 TPI Genomic Young Bull list. This is Genetics for Life!   Genomax™: Led by household names including 0200HO07450 Amighetti Numero Uno, our rigorous selection standards ensure that these bulls are the industry’s finest genomic stars. New to this line-up in April are:  are:   0200AY00775         DES FLEURS PATRIOTE   0200HO02980        BENNER BRIGHTLITE 0200HO02981        BENNER SANTANA 0200HO06596        BOLDI AIRLIFT 0200HO03945        BOLDI V LIFELINE 0200HO06584        BRYHILL SCIENCE P 0200HO10000        COMESTAR LINEMAN 0200HO10016        CRACKHOLM LEJEUNE ACDC 0200HO06529        DYMENTHOLM SUNVIEW SETUP *RC 0200HO02998        EDG BLOOMINGTON 0200HO02999        EDG CALLAWAY 0200HO02954        EDG DUTY-FREE 0200HO03984        EDG LEGIBILITY 0200HO10032        EDG ... Read More...

With each genetic evaluation Holstein Canada recognizes sires that reach elite standards in production, conformation and also genetic indexes through their Superior Production (SP) and Superior Type (ST) programs. The following Semex sires have been recognized as Superior Production. Sires recognized for Superior Production, having combined genetic indexes for Fat and Protein in the top 5% of sires with official domestic proof in Canada. Sires must have reliability for Production of at least 91%. SCOVA SANDSTORM  (BONAIR x LOU)        VELTHUIS SHACKLETON  (ALEXANDER x BOLTON)     VELTHUIS SOPHOMORE  (PLANET x LOU)       WABASH-WAY EXCITE  (PLANET x SHOTTLE) The following Semex sires have been recognized for Superior Type. Sires recognized for Superior Type, having combined proofs for Conformation, Mammary System, Feet & Legs, Dairy Strength and Rump in the top 5% of sires with official domestic proofs. Sires must have a reliability of Conformation of at least 87%. BUTOISE MARVIN  (MILLION x GOLDWYN) DEWGOOD ADVANCE  (ALEXANDER x GOLDWYN) FLEURY AZTEC  (HOWIE x SHOTTLE) O-BEE KRUSADER  (PLANET x SHOTTLE) STANTONS POP  (HOWIE x SHOTTLE)  
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The April 2014 LPI & TPI proofs are now online on Semex's website at www.semex.com!   

We’re proud to share our Genetics for Life commitment with our customers worldwide each proof round. Genetic evaluations give us the opportunity to showcase the tremendous genetic potential our line-up has for GLPI, GTPI, Type, Net Merit $, Calving Ease and many other traits dairymen are interested in. 

Holstein Highlights:


Semex’s #1 LPI and #1 TPI sire 0200HO00402 Mainstream Manifold rises nine spots on LPI rankings while adding +1000 daughters to his production proof
#1 new release LPI sire is 0200HO06186 Blondin Careyprice (Goldwyn x Shottle x Barbies)


Jersey Highlights:


Semex has five of the top 10 young sires for GLPI and eight of the top 20!
0200JE00060 BW Renegade (Maximum x Centurion) is Semex’s #1 new release and #3 overall LPI sire
0200JE07756 Golden GDK Vivaldi (DJ Lix x Impuls) returns as #1 young sire for GLPI


Ayrshire Highlights:


#2 LPI Ayrshire sire 0200AY00680 Kamouraska Rockstar gaining 113 LPI points
#3 LPI Ayrshire sire 0200AY00699 Kamouraska Decaf
#4 LPI Ayrshire sire 0200AY00702 Lessard Jumper


To view video footage of many of Semex’s sires' daughters visit our Youtube channel at www.youtube.com/semexalliance

Additional information on these bulls including complete LPI and TPI data is available at www.semex.com 
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Semex is pleased to announce that Lowell Lindsay has been named World Dairy Expo's 2014 International Person of the Year. 

World Dairy Expo (WDE) along with the dairy industry will honor four exemplary dairy leaders this fall at the annual Dinner with the Stars Recognition Banquet held in conjunction with the global event in Madison, Wis. “Nominated by their industry peers, these leaders were selected for their outstanding contributions to the industry”, shared Scott Bentley, WDE General Manager. “Expo is truly excited to recognize them and share their life stories and impact with the dairy community."

The 2014 World Dairy Expo Recognition Award honorees are: Dairy Woman of the Year – Pam Bolin, Beaver Creek Farm, Clarksville, Iowa; Dairyman of the Year – James S. Huffard III, Huffard Dairy Farms; Duchess Dairy, Crockett, Va.; Industry Person of the Year – Dr. Curtis P. Van Tassell, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Bovine Functional Genomics Laboratory, Beltsville, Md.; and International Person of the Year – Lowell D. Lindsay, Retired, Semex, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

These four award recipients will be honored at a formal celebration, including a reception and banquet on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 in the Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. Tickets for this industry gala will be available at a later date.
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