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January 31st, 2014

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Denmark is well known for it ability to produce quality dairy products, bacon, green energy and pharmaceutical products. Now, you can officially add bull sperm to the list.

Vikinggenetics, the Scandinavian-owned cattle-breeding company based in Randers, has garnered a massive order of bull sperm from Thailand after recent promotional trips to the nation.

"It was a success because when you secure an order to take home that first time you are on a business trip, you can feel a bit proud,” H.C. Hansen, the firm’s export manager, told DR Nyheder.

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Thailand eyeing Danish market
The farmer-owned company secured considerable orders consisting of 2,500 doses of sperm from Red Danish and Holstein bulls, the equivalent of 2,500 inseminations.

Vikinggenetics, which is 50 percent owned by Danish farmers and 25 percent owned by Finnish and Swedish farmers, argued that it was no coincidence that the Thai market has focused their interest on Danish bulls.

“We are in possession of some good bulls, genetically speaking. We have chosen our bulls based on how much milk that the cows they breed give,” Hansen said. “Furthermore, they are very resistant to disease and are very fertile.”

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Getting a foot in the door
But according to Hansen, the best cow is produced when breeding Thai cows with Danish bulls, because while the Danish bulls are robust, the Thai cows are used to the heat in South-East Asia.

The demand for milk in Thailand has grown exponentially along with the nation’s living standards and Vikinggenetics hopes that the same thing will occur to Thailand’s neighbours.

“Thailand is a member of ASEAN, an association of South-East Asian nations, and we hope that this can be our gateway in to a market that includes millions of people,” Hansen said.

Thailand’s milk production consists of about 250,000 cows, while the Danish milk production is twice as large.