05/12/2008, Samen NZ
One hundred and twenty farmers from as far afield as Palmerston North and Bulls attended the official opening of Samen New Zealand’s new premises in the Waikato.
Hugh Vercoe, mayor of the Matamata Piako district officially opened the new facility on Kereone Road in Morrinsville.
Cees van Baar, General Manager of Samen New Zealand said the new premises were purpose built for the storage and dispatch of semen and related products and meets the MAF New Zealand semen standard.
“The office is very spacious and light and provides the four permanent office staff with a beautiful view of Mount Te Aroha and the Kaimai Ranges,” said Mr van Baar.
The 5.6ha property is fenced to house rising one and rising two year old bulls and has quarantine facilities and quarantine boundary fencing to keep the bulls free from IBR. All Samen bulls are free from IBR and therefore meet the EU import requirements.
In total 30 bulls were on display and a bus took visitors between the two properties for viewing. Other bulls still remain at the collection centres in Woodville and Rukuhia.
Mr van Baar told guests on the day they have been in business for 11-years and to be successful you need to surround yourself with successful people. One such person is Bas Engelen, founder and owner of K.I. Samen, The Netherlands.
“I have travelled extensively around the world in the last 15-years working in the genetics industry and can say that there are not many countries where dairy farmers are as successful as in New Zealand.”
He said the infrastructure and scale of farms being developed in New Zealand is unique and it is one of the few countries in the world where people can start from ground level, whether in farming or agribusinesses such as Samen.
Mr van Baar thanked his wife Annie, his children and the people who have helped along the way including staff and past employees.
“For the future we are very well set up with the backing of the world’s largest genetics company ABS Global and the USA’s largest farmer co-operative Cooperative Resources International - CRI.”
“Both these companies hold technology for genomic selection however at Samen New Zealand we want to keep a practical approach towards genetics. Farmers are very practical people whom are very capable of making decisions for themselves and do not need to be force-fed.”
Mr van Baar said their clients appreciate the practical way they put together genetic programmes and how they apply them at farm level.
The company has grown in the past three years to become New Zealand’s third largest genetics company well supported by kiwi dairy farmers.
“We have grown a further 25% and aim to do the same next year,” Mr van Baar said.
The opening concluded with lunch and refreshments and live entertainment enjoyed by all.
rachel.scrimgeour@xtra.co.nz
