DAIRY sexed semen sales have doubled as farmers scramble to rebuild the nation's herd and supply livestock to the export market.
Sales are expected to continue to rise as herd rebuilding continues and farmers' cash flow recovers.
The National Herd Improvement Association of Australia said 60,905 units of sexed semen and 5016 of sexed genomic semen were sold during 2010-2011. That accounted for 3.32 per cent of the total semen sold in Australia.
During 2009-10, 35,334 units of sexed semen were sold.
Alta Genetics and ABS Australia are the nation's two biggest sexed semen suppliers.
Alta Genetic general manager Graeme Gillan said sales had more than doubled in the past year and he expected demand to continue to improve.
"The results people are getting with sexed semen, in terms of pregnancy fertility, has become more consistent and within expectations, and also the price of sexed semen means that it was more competitive in 2011 than it was before," Mr Gillan said.
"In the last 10 years, people have culled a lot of cattle because of the drought ... people are wondering 'how do I get more cows?'. If (they) can't compete in the market place, the only other choice is to get them organically."
"Driven commercial" farmers were behind the initial interest in the technology in Australia, ABS Australia national sales manager Geoff Wood said.
"They see value in two areas: one, growing cow (numbers), and, two, having any excess stock to sell on the export market now," he said. "It provides a second income stream, livestock sales rather than just milk."
Mr Wood said sexed semen sold for $35-$80 a unit, up to 2.5 times more than the average price of proven semen.
This recent survey included only sales of imported sexed semen.
Last spring, in an Australian first, the Western District's Total Livestock Genetics installed two sex-sorting machines.
Director Shane Ashworth said the new addition was yet to be marketed, but the interest would keep the machines busy all year.
According to NHIA's survey, Holstein semen sales were stable at 77.05 per cent of the market and Jersey semen rose to 14.02 per cent.
Genomic semen sales rose by 86,660 units, from 49,717 in 2009-10, and represents 6.87 per cent of the market.
