Buongiorno Beefmasters
By Doyle Sanders, BBU International Committee Co-Chair to Europe/Asia
The “Buongiorno Beefmasters†event was hosted in Rome, Italy on September 24, 2016. It was a great event that was developed to introduce the Beefmaster breed into Italy, while it grows into Western Europe from Northern Ireland and Eastern Europe from Poland. Opportunities to extend into Northern Africa and Russia/Kazakhstan are also now being considered due to this event. U.S. Livestock Genetics Export, Inc. (USLGE) has supported the effort to export and grow the Beefmaster breed into Europe since the first project was identified for Italy in 2013, Poland in 2014 and the United Kingdom in 2015.
The project to launch Beefmaster genetics into Europe required strict compliance with European Union (EU) bovine health restrictions over a long term process. Certified Semen Services (CSS) semen is not accepted under EU regulations for semen importation. Doyle and Dorothy Sanders’ DBL D BAR Beefmaster Ranch in Austin County, Texas went through a high risk process to certify their herd and obtain special EU certification of embryo collection standards not commonly used in the United States for beef cattle. No outside funding has been used to develop this project. Some USLGE funding was applied to partially offset educational programs for breed promotion for potential European beef producers.
Giulio and Francesca DeDonatis’ Tenuta dell Argenta Resort Range and Feedlot at Civitavecchia and their meat markets in Rome, Italy formed a relationship with the DBL D BAR Ranch to kick off the project in late 2013 that has grown to include Poland and Northern Ireland.
The special event was attended by approximately 100 guests, representing various aspects of the beef industry in Italy and Central Europe. These guests included breeders, feedlots, feeder cattle suppliers, major grocery and meat supplier, beef professionals involved in agri-marketing, beef journalism professionals and graduate students developing beef research projects at the University of Bologna.
USLGE sponsored travel for the seminar speakers which included Beefmaster Breeders United President-Elect Steve Carpenter, Dr. Joe Paschal of Texas A&M University and Charlie Bradbury of JBS, the largest beef company in the world. Other hosts and speakers included Doyle Sanders of DBL D BAR Ranch, Giulio DeDonatis of DD-Italia Beefmasters and Lukasz Karmowski, from his ranch in western Poland. The topics were well received and a lot of interest was evident in expediting EU certified Beefmaster semen into these markets for crossbreeding with the various native herds.
The staff from the Tenuta dell Argenta Ranch, Feedlot, Meat Markets, and Restaurant/Hotel did a great job preparing the conference and providing a special luncheon for all the guests. Beef roast was served Italian style along with some very special Italian Chianti vino from the DaVinci winery just up the coast in Tuscany. The ranch overlooks the Port of Rome that welcomes cruise ships for Mediterranean destinations. Go to “Beefmasters Europa†on Facebook to see scenic photography around the purebred calves and their Marremano recip dams. The Marremano breed has flourished in this area of Italy since the Roman Empire and now they are joined by our Beefmaster breed, for at least the next 2,000 years.
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