ACMC to supply genetically-advanced semen to Mexico

British pig-breeding company ACMC Ltd has been singled out to supply genetically-advanced semen to Mexico.

Initially, vet and entrepreneur, Angel Francos-Tapia, will be importing 300 doses a week for distribution to farms throughout the country to upgrade the quality of slaughter pigs. Semen will also be used for the production of improved female-line breeding stock.

Licensing arrangements, overseen by the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, have taken eight months and ACMC is the only UK company that has a permit for the export of semen to Mexico. It will be supplied from ACMC’s Yorkshire high-health stud. The agreement, Angel says, is in response to repeated requests from Mexican pork producers to source top-quality genetics, world-wide, to improve production.

Around 160,000 slaughter pigs will benefit from the deal, worth over £50,000 annually. “We have Mexican companies already waiting for ACMC semen and feel very confident that numbers will rise fast as soon as the industry becomes aware of the consistent quality,” said Angel.

Mexico has around one million commercial sows producing some 20 million slaughter pigs which are taken to finishing weights of 105-120 kg liveweight. Most of the industry is concentrated into the hands of large companies, many of which have more than 5,000 breeding sows.