FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ABS HELPS SPONSOR NORTH AMERICAN INTERCOLLEGIATE DAIRY CHALLENGE

DEFOREST, WISCONSIN -April 28, 2005 - ABS is proud to be a Foundation Platinum sponsor of North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC).

"The Dairy Challenge is a wonderful program that allows dairy students the opportunity for hands-on training, problem solving and presentation," states Todd Kranz, ABS Global Division Sales Manager. "From an ABS standpoint, it offers a great opportunity for our staff to network with the top dairy students in the nation."

NAIDC is a collegiate contest that began in 2002, and was established as a management contest to incorporate all phases of a specific dairy business. It strives to incorporate a higher learning atmosphere with practical application to help prepare students for careers in the dairy industry. The national contest rotates around the nation, and this year it was held April 8-9, in State College, Pa. Regional contests have recently been added to the Dairy Challenge, one held in the Northeast, a second in the Midwest, and a third to take place in the West.

The 2005 event was the largest yet, as it attracted 27 teams from the United States and Canada, challenging them to put their textbook and practical knowledge to the ultimate test – analyzing dairies. The format started with a walk-through at the dairies, followed by the opportunity to ask questions of the owners and analyze farm-specific data. Student teams then used the information they gathered to develop management recommendations, and concluded by presenting their management recommendations to a panel of five dairy industry judges.

In addition to monetary sponsorship of the contest, ABS staff also volunteer to assist during the event. Also, Kranz serves on the Steering Committee as the Financial Chair of the contest. ABS congratulates all of this year’s teams on a job well done, especially the First Place Platinum teams from the University of Guelph, Cornell University and University of Illinois. The company will continue its sponsorship of the North American Dairy Challenge in 2006, which will be co-hosted by University of Idaho and Washington State University in the Twin Falls, Idaho area April 7-8.

Headquartered in DeForest, Wisconsin, ABS Global is the world-leading provider of bovine genetics, reproduction services, technologies and uddercare products. Marketing in more than 70 countries around the globe, ABS has been at the forefront of animal genetics and technology since its founding in 1941. ABS Global is part of Genus Breeding, a division of Genus plc.

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To receive the contents of this release electronically, please contact Alice Langer at alanger@absglobal.com, or (608) 846-6203.

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