The Semen Archive Management Board (SAMB) have agreed an incentive for sheep Breed Societies to benefit when the Society approves rams into the NSP/NISP Semen Archive. Further commercial support to ram owners through the Ark Consortiums' three commercial partners (CBS-Worcester, Britbreed-Edinburgh & AI Services-Belfast) has also been agreed.
Both incentives are being made available for the 2005/06 semen collection season. Extension of the incentive payments may follow a review on success, which will be measured by the number of rams nominated and approved into the Semen Archive.
Welcoming this development Peter Baber SAMB Chairman (and Chairman of the National Sheep Association) commented:
| "These new incentives acknowledge the vital role that breed societies
and sheep breeders will play in safeguarding the genetic heritage of our
national flock by archiving genes from scrapie susceptible rams. |
| "Societies have a time-limited opportunity to approve ram nominations we receive from breeders. I urge all eligible Societies to encourage their members to nominate rams and together we can ensure a diverse representation of their breeds in the Archive." |
The commercial partners of Ark Consortium have also agreed an additional £50 incentive payment per ram which will be paid directly to the ram owner on successful semen freezing (for the 11 mainstream breeds only).
The incentives will be administered through Ark Consortium Ltd. who also provide the free ram transport, semen collection freezing and storage facilities for the NSP/NISP Archive.
Within Northern Ireland, the incentive payments will be made available to all Breed Societies for approved VRQ rams. The 3 mainstream breeds there (Texel, Suffolk and Blackface) that have rams approved carrying any scrapie susceptible allele (i.e. the AHQ, ARH, and ARQ alleles as well as the VRQ allele) will be eligible for payment.
Further information on the ram nomination process and copies of ram nomination forms are available from the Archive Breed Liaison Manager ar ARK on 0845 006 0008, or via e-mail at info@semen-archive.co.uk.
National Sheep Association, The Rare
Breeds Survival Trust, The Sheep Trust,
Defra, The Scottish Executive, The Welsh Assembly Government, DARD Northern
Ireland