The work initiated within the scope of the “Anatolian Pied Development Project”, carried out under the coordination of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM), was transformed into a commercial embryo production center in 2018. Studies on embryo production, freezing and transfer in cattle are carried out at the Animal Biotechnology Laboratory of the Eastern Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute. The institute continues its work as the first and only commercial embryo production center in Türkiye.
770 EMBRYOES WERE FROZEN, 604 CALVES WERE BORN
Within the scope of the project, a total of 770 embryos from cattle with the highest meat and milk productivity in the world were frozen. 604 calves were born from embryo transfers made at the Institute’s Livestock Enterprise. The sale of frozen commercial cattle embryos to breeders by the institute continues as of 2022. Sales are made at a price close to cost in order to popularize embryo transfer technology and introduce manufacturers to this technology.
The aim of the studies is to develop tested bulls with high genetic capacity that are suitable for Türkiye’s conditions, to reduce foreign dependency in quality semen production and to achieve genetic progress in cattle in a short time.
İbrahim Cerit, Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute, said in a statement to the İHA reporter on the subject that the studies on obtaining, freezing and transferring embryos at the Animal Biotechnology Laboratory have been carried out commercially since 2018. Cerit said, “So far, we have frozen 770 embryos in cattle breeding, that is, in cattle. Our sales continue. With a decision taken by our Ministry in 2018, it has evolved into a commercial embryo production center. We use donor cows that have a genetically high milk yield capacity. At the same time, by importing the semen of bulls known in the world, especially among the top 10, we obtain high quality, high genetic quality embryos here.”
“18 TO 20 EMBRYO FORMATION FROM ONE COW”
Stating that thanks to the applied method, many more embryos can be obtained from an animal, İbrahim Cerit said, “Under normal conditions, you get one offspring from a cow in a year. However, in our efforts to obtain embryos with this method, that is, the multiple ovulation method, 18 to 20 embryos can be formed from one animal.”
Explaining that the embryos obtained in the laboratory are subject to quality control, Cerit noted that suitable embryos can be transferred freshly to carrier animals, while frozen embryos can be thawed and transferred when needed, and said, “The embryos are then selected according to their quality in the laboratory environment. If fresh transfer is to be made, we transfer them to carrier heifers, or freeze them, thaw them again at a later time, and transfer them to the animals.”
“IT IS SOLD FOR 3 THOUSAND 850 LIRAS”
Stating that commercial sales are continuing for the embryos produced at the institute to reach the breeders, Eastern Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute Director İbrahim Cerit explained that the prices are kept close to the cost in order for the producers to familiarize themselves with the technology and said:
“We sell them at a price very close to their cost in order to make them widespread, known by our producers and raise awareness. Our current prices are around 3 thousand 850 TL per embryo. Here, our friends, we provide all services, from sales to after-sales services. The main purpose of the work is to obtain new generations with high genetic capacity in enterprises with animals with low milk or meat yield.”
On the other hand, Cerit stated that academic studies on embryo transfer are carried out in different institutions in Türkiye, but the Eastern Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute is in a different position in terms of commercial and active production, and said, “There are these studies academically, but commercially, actively, this is the only embryo production center, commercial embryo production center in Türkiye at the moment.”
