Increased Interest in UK Jerseys
08/01/09

Registrations into the UK Jerseys pedigree herdbook and sales of ‘Jersey Sires’ semen have both exceeded ten thousand units in 2008.

Ease of management, high fertility and average yields of 5500kg milk at 5.5 per cent butterfat and 4 per cent protein have all contributed to the on-going demand for Jersey for Jersey cattle throughout the UK and worldwide.

For pedigree registrations there was an increase in UK born animals of 14 per cent. Although the number of imported cattle was, unsurprisingly, down, there was still an overall increase.

Semen sales, too, have shown big growth with an increase of 37 per cent in the year and over 250 per cent in five years from the breed society’s portfolio.

Peter Prior, chairman of UK Jerseys, said: “We are delighted by the increased interest in the breed. It is happening in many countries around the world, especially USA, South Africa, Denmark, Canada and throughout South America and in to Europe.

“This has led to us having a busy and successful year on the international front.
In May we hosted the World Jersey Cattle Bureau delegates prior to the Conference on the Island of Jersey and we have had a number of groups from other countries, most notably Brazil where strong interest exists for semen and embryos. Business has already been done with Hungary with the export of a batch of heifers and semen has been sold in to Europe.

“The ease of management, high fertility, feed efficiency and animal performance, which has improved beyond all recognition, all contributed to the attractiveness of the Jersey breed. We look forward to more dairy farmers moving to Jerseys and to playing our part in the success story.”

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