One of the Canadian Holstein breed's great success stories is the development of world export markets. Over the years, Canadian Holsteins have been exported to over 70 countries.
The well-recognized Holstein Canada logo with the Holstein cow head and red maple leaf has gained tremendous recognition and acceptance around the world. Many countries look to Canada as the leader in dairy genetics. Dairy producers in other countries have traditionally looked to Canada as a source of balanced breeding through live animals, AI, and embryos. They appreciate the fact that Canadian Holsteins are built on strong cow families and proven sires. They have desirable conformation to produce high quantities of milk over many lactations.
The marketability of live animals is due to sound animal health programs to mitigate and deal with disease. All animals are nationally tagged at birth with the national identification tagging system, with one component being a microchip button. Animal traceability supports the national health program.
Exports of Canadian dairy genetic material are valued at approximately $115 million annually. The major export markets for genetics (live animals, embryos, and semen) include USA, Russia, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Brazil, Australia, Germany and Japan.
