Company News

Continuously improve, and grow. That’s a simple description of the business objectives of Hoenhorst Farms Ltd., a family-owned dairy near Innerkip, Ont.
But this management approach, driven by owner and manager Cox Wensink, is anything but simple. She’s a fourth generation dairy farmer who draws on her engineering and management consultant experience to build protocols and performance benchmarks. From herd health, genetics and calf raising strategies to labour efficiency and
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Semex and Nedap have strengthened and expanded their successful partnership. The Semex ai24® program with Nedap technology is now available in more countries, enabling dairy farmers to significantly improve their herd performance and profitability.

Semex ai24, which monitors the reproduction, health and location of cows, has been offered with Nedap technology in a growing amount of key dairy regions since 2008. The successful results that dairy farmers experience from Semex ai24 technology within the program and the related high level of customer satisfaction has led to this expansion.

"Striving for efficiency and precision management for its clients, Semex is excited to offer Nedap technology to even more markets through its Semex ai24 program. Nedap has already been a trusted partner in many countries around the globe for more than 10 years, with an excellent track record when it comes to improving dairy herd management and performance. Semex clients can take advantage of all the benefits this reliable and innovative technology offers," says Drew Sloan, Semex Sr. Vice President, Sales & Business Development.

Bas Driessen, Sales Manager at Nedap adds, "Nedap is proud of the many years of collaboration with Semex. The value that Semex adds for dairy farmers through the ai24 program with Nedap technology is a crowning achievement. Their improved results and enthusiasm are the main proof of our successful partnership. We are therefore thrilled to expand the collaboration partnership with Semex." 

Semex is comprised of three Partner Owners: WestGen, CIAQ (Centre d'insémination artificielle du Québec) and EastGen. As a leading global genetics company, Semex is focused on providing our clients with the solutions, innovations and technologies that positively impact their lives, as well as the lives of the animals on their operations and within our global community. This is Genetics for Life, our guiding ... Read More...

Similar to your farm operation, our future is quite often built on targeted decisions made years ago. This is no more true than with EastGen’s response to the increased demand for sexed semen. Our Semex partners and board agreed to make substantial investments which have resulted in a close to doubling of our sexed semen sorting
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Semex along with its owners, EastGen and CIAQ, are pleased to announce the donation of a combined $100,000 to the British Columbia Dairy Association adding to the $100,000 donation previously made by WestGen. Last month the BC Dairy Association worked quickly to set up an emergency recovery fund with all monies raised directed towards providing urgently needed services and supplies to dairy farms and their families.

"The entire country has been moved by the devastation seen by our clients, friends and partners in British Columbia following these catastrophic floods," says Paul Larmer, Semex CEO. "Our deepest concern has been and continues to be the health and safety of farmers, farm workers and livestock in these affected areas. With our partners at WestGen, we collectively worked immediately to protect supply chains and deliverables, and now together we're working to support the work needed to rebuild in these critical farming areas in what has already been a challenging year."

"British Columbia's farmers were there for us during the Great Ice Storm of 1998," says CIAQ President, Jean-François Morin. "Now it is our turn to be there for them. On behalf of our Board of Directors, employees and client-owners, we are making this gesture of solidarity to help them get through this terrible ordeal."

"As partners in Semex, we work together for producers across Canada," says EastGen President Gerrit Wensink. "Now, as the individuals and families in British Columbia deal with the devastation brought by the floods, producers in Eastern Canada are united in support of their colleagues and partners in BC."

"We're proud to be partners in a key part of Western Canada's dairy community and will continue to support and evaluate needs in this recovery effort," says Larmer. "Today we're proud to announce this collective commitment and we look forward to helping rebuild this critical part of the ... Read More...

With each proof round, Canadian breeders learn of new exciting genomic sires, sexed, and Immunity+ sires to work with, and this proof does not disappoint. The
take home message from this round, however, has to be
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Bid for BC! The recent unprecedented flooding in British Columbia has created severe challenges for dairy farms, particularly in the Fraser Valley. In response, EastGen is supporting B.C. dairy relief efforts. One of the ways we’re getting involved is by donating three lots of five doses of sexed semen from Stantons Alligator. That’s right, the +3521 GLPI, +15 Conf. superstar 0200HO10593 ALLIGATOR, whose supply of conventional semen continues to be extremely limited! We have very few doses of sexed Alligator semen, and we’ve been planning to donate it to important fundraisers such as this. Here’s how it works: • Bidding on each lot will be staggered over the coming weeks. These opportunities will be promoted on EastGen’s Facebook (@EastGen), Instagram (eastgen_genetics) and Twitter (@EastGenGenetics) channels; however, bids will be accepted on Facebook only. • To bid, watch for the EastGen Facebook post indicating bidding is
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Semex is pleased to announce that Dr Bonnie Mallard, University of Guelph Professor Ontario Veterinary College, has received the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Synergy Award and its highest prize of $200,000 towards continuing research. 

Launched in 1995 by NSERC the Synergy Award recognizes partnerships in natural sciences and engineering research and development between universities and Canadian industry. Since their inception, the Awards have honoured the most outstanding achievements of these collaborations in the natural sciences and engineering. 

“When I learned of this win, I was over the moon about this tremendous recognition of my lifetime work as a scientist and professor of immunogenetics,” said Dr. Mallard, adding that the award recognizes women scientists’ ability to translate science into innovation.

“The NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation is one of the highest awards this country offers for innovation, and I plan to use this platform to bring further expansion to the HIR/Immunity+® technology,” she said. “There is still much exciting work left to do.”

Licensed to Semex, the HIR technology has been available to clients worldwide under the Immunity+ lineup since 2012.

“The HIR technology and Immunity+ is a good example of the importance of long-term research collaborations,” says Paul Larmer, Semex CEO. “Nominations are judged on partnership, effective use of resources and tangible benefits, all of which are evident with Immunity+ and HIR testing. We congratulate Dr. Mallard and we’re excited to continue our work together to reduce cattle disease and its related costs through preventative genetic methods worldwide.” 
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EastGen customers using Elevate™ know that this industry leading genetic selection tool has many benefits. Doug Karn of Karnvilla Holsteins & Jerseys, Woodstock, ON, is using the program to genomic test his heifers. He recently outlined the value he sees in this program from the perspective of a breeder and genetics
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