After Downturn, Brazil’s Bovine Genetics Market Shows Signs of Recovery

After a drop in sales in 2022 and 2023, Brazil’s bovine semen market confirmed a recovery trend last year. According to the Brazilian Association of Artificial Insemination (Asbia), 15.6 million doses were sold between January and October, and total sales for the year are expected to have reached 19 million doses. That would exceed the 17.5 million doses recorded in 2024.

Sales of semen for beef cattle rose by nearly 10% in 2025, led by taurine breeds — particularly Angus and Brangus — which posted growth of more than 20% and drove the overall market expansion. Final figures are scheduled to be released by Asbia in February.

“That period when insemination declined and then stabilized coincides exactly with the drop in cattle and calf prices. That’s what we call the low point of our cycle,” said Fernando Velloso, co-owner of CRIO Central Genética Bovina, based in Cachoeira do Sul, in Rio Grande do Sul, and a director at Asbia. “Now that we’ve entered a recovery phase, insemination has started to grow again.”

The figures also point to the broader adoption of artificial insemination, Velloso said. Two or three decades ago, cattle ranchers mainly used the technique to improve genetics. In recent years, however, insemination has increasingly become a tool to control farm costs and improve herd reproductive management.

Today, insemination is no longer a one-off investment but a routine practice on farms, according to Velloso. “With the widespread use of fixed-time artificial insemination protocols, producers can achieve a lower pregnancy cost — that is, a lower cost per calf born — with artificial insemination than with natural breeding,” he said.

This routine can increase reproductive efficiency by 5% to 10%, he added, while cost reductions can range from 20% to 25%.

The outlook for this year points to continued expansion. “We expect good calf prices over the next three years, and when that happens, it encourages herd expansion,” Velloso said.

In Rio Grande do Sul, for example, finished cattle are currently priced at around R$11.50 per kilogram of live weight, while calves are selling for between R$14 and R$15 per kilogram. The expectation is that this premium for calves over finished cattle will remain near 20%. One factor supporting herd expansion is the expected decline in female slaughter after the increase seen in 2025.

Structural shift

The recovery is also reflected in figures from insemination centers. At Seleon Biotecnologia, based in Itatinga, São Paulo state, sales rose 17% in 2025, according to CEO Bruno Grubisich. He said the sector’s strong performance last year was driven less by cyclical optimism and more by a production structure reshaped after the pandemic.

“There was an explosion in demand, meat prices surged, and that led ranchers to rush to genetics and products that improve productivity,” he said.

The company’s performance was mainly driven by a 105% increase in sales of Angus semen. In the dairy segment, the standout was the Holstein breed, with growth of 55%.

One trend that emerged during the pandemic was the import of bulls to Brazil for semen collection. Seleon now has more than 100 U.S.-bred bulls, accounting for over 20% of its herd. “Producers are increasingly looking for top-tier genetics, so what emerged, so to speak, was a corridor of American genetics into Brazil,” Grubisich said.

The logistics process works as follows: bulls undergo quarantine in the United States and are then flown to Viracopos airport in Brazil. Upon arrival, they are inspected by officials from the Agriculture Ministry and transferred to Seleon’s facilities, where they go through a pre-immunization process to build resistance to ticks, one of the most common parasites in tropical climates.

After 60 days, the bulls are cleared to enter production and begin a normal life cycle. At that point, semen collection begins. Previously, genetics were imported mainly through frozen semen doses shipped in tanks, but logistical and customs hurdles often caused companies to miss sales opportunities, Grubisich said.

“We made viable a market that didn’t really exist because of tropical climate constraints. Once clients realized they could fly these bulls to Brazil and secure a continuous supply of semen, that approach started to gain traction,” he added.

At Seleon, a bull produces an average of 400 to 500 doses per collection, carried out twice a week. As a result, a single animal can generate tens of thousands of doses per year.

Source: Globo Rural

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