Company News

EastGen congratulates Phil MacLean, past EastGen Director and past President of Semex, on being named the 2026 Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame inductee for Newfoundland and Labrador. The honour recognizes MacLean’s decades of leadership, innovation and service to Atlantic Canadian agriculture, from building Headline
Holsteins into a progressive
... Read More...

EastGen félicite Phil MacLean, ancien administrateur d’EastGen et ancien président de Semex, pour son admission au Temple de la renommée agricole de Terre-
Neuve-et-Labrador en 2026. Cet honneur souligne les décennies de leadership, d’innovation et de service de M. MacLean dans l’industrie agricole des provinces
de l’Atlantique, allant du développement de Headline Holsteins en une exploitation
... Read More...

EastGen is proud to congratulate Phil MacLean, past EastGen Director and past President of Semex, on being named the 2026 Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame inductee for Newfoundland and Labrador. The honour recognizes a lifetime of leadership, innovation and service to Atlantic Canadian agriculture. From building a leading dairy operation in Newfoundland and Labrador to providing leadership at EastGen and Semex, MacLean has made significant contributions to dairy genetics, farm innovation and the future of Atlantic dairy farming.

“Phil’s impact reaches far
... Read More...

Semex is saddened to announce the passing of Robert Chicoine, Semex Alliance's architect and its first general manager. Like no other, Robert Chicoine is foundational to Semex, and on his passing, Semex, its partners, global staff, and breeders worldwide are indebted to his dedication to dairy cattle improvement and Canadian genetics.   As a young boy growing up in Saint-Pie-de-Bagot, Quebec, Robert studied the Holstein Journal, memorized names, and dreamed of working with cows. As a student at Université Laval he spent a summer working at Centre d’insémination artificielle du Québec (CIAQ) and described his time there as being in “heaven.” In 1966, he joined CIAQ and established its young-sire-proving program; he became CIAQ’s General Manager in 1981; he was a Boviteq visionary and Chairman of the Board from 1991-1996; and in 1997, he was among the visionaries who established the Semex Alliance, serving as its first general manager. Uniquely qualified, Robert helped design Semex’s cooperative structure, the Canadian genetic evaluation model, and the research infrastructure Boviteq is built on. Robert’s leadership and vision laid the groundwork for Semex and Boviteq to continually expand globally and deliver the genetics and technology Semex is synonymous with: profitability, genetic improvement, reliability, and breeder satisfaction. With a career studded with milestones, awards, and recognition, Robert is the 2026 World Dairy Expo International Person of the Year. Recently, he reminisced on the UpLevel Dairy Podcast about one of his favorite memories: “As a sire analyst, I selected several bulls that had influence in the breed. And one of them was Hanoverhill Starbuck, who was quite a significant bull in the history of the breed. But as a global impact, probably having a leadership role in putting together the partners to form the Semex Alliance in the 1990s was probably what I would ... Read More...

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗜𝗧 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝘐𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘳. 𝘛𝘪𝘮 𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘸 𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻! Do you know a leader or mentor who inspires agricultural youth, gives generously to their community, and embodies the spirit of Dr. Tim Henshaw? EastGen invites nominations from 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 for the 2026 Feeding the Human Spirit Leadership Award. 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 Established by EastGen in memory of the late 𝗗𝗿. 𝗧𝗶𝗺 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗮𝘄, this award celebrates individuals who reflect Tim’s legacy as a skilled veterinarian, educator, communicator, leader and mentor. Tim was known for his integrity, generosity of spirit, commitment to his community, and his ability to inspire young people to challenge themselves and reach their potential. The Feeding the Human Spirit Leadership Award recognizes those who carry those same qualities forward and aligns with EastGen’s ongoing commitment to 𝘼𝙜 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 – 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙. The winner will receive: A cash award provided by EastGen, and a keepsake memento. 𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 Previous nominees are welcome to be resubmitted for consideration. A selection committee, including previous recipients, will review all nominations. The 2026 award will be presented Tuesday, November 10, during the final day of showing at the TD Canadian 4-H Dairy Classic at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair ... Read More...

NEW — A Semex-exclusive index for robotic dairy success launched with the August 2026 Proof Release. Robot+™ helps producers identify genetics built for automation, making it easier to increase robot utilization, milk production, labour efficiency, and profitability.
... Read More...

NOUVEAU — Un indice exclusif à Semex dédié à la réussite de la traite robotisée lancé lors de la publication des épreuves d’août 2026. Robot+mc aide les producteurs à identifier la génétique conçue pour l’automatisation, facilitant l’augmentation de l’utilisation des robots, de la production de lait, de
l’efficacité de la main-d’oeuvre et de la rentabilité.
... Read More...

... Read More...

... Read More...

Despite contending with a Health Canada smoke advisory, summer heat waves, and the need to relocate events to two different facilities, the 2026 EastGen Showcase and EastGen Challenge youth shows welcomed an outstanding group
... Read More...