FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ANIMAL BREEDERS
HOLDS 59th ANNUAL CONVENTION

Over the dates of August 18-19, 2005, the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) held their annual meeting at the Hyatt Regency Union Station in St. Louis, MO.

NAAB BUSINESS SESSION

Scott The Convention Business Session was held on Friday afternoon, August 19th. Dr. Donald Monke presented the annual Chairman's address. He stated that “2004 and 2005 will be remembered as good years for the bovine AI industry. Above average prices for dairy products and beef have enabled AI companies to have good domestic sales”.

Dr. Gordon A. Doak, NAAB President reported total semen sales for 2004 increased 4.1 percent which followed a 3.7 percent increase in 2003. In actual numbers, total units increased from 29,701,000 units in 2003 to 30,931,000 in 2004. Export unit sales decreased 1.6 percent in 2004. However, the dollar value increased 7.0 percent to $48,871,000. The top ten countries ranked on unit sales were Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Italy and Turkey. In 2004, NAAB members sold semen in 92 countries with sales of more than $1 million in 13 different countries.

Doak highlighted some of the committee activities for the past year including the Beef Development Committee, Dairy Sire Evaluation Committee, International Marketing Committee, and the Technical Committee.

David Thorbahn, General Manager, Select Sires was elected to fill the vacancy created by retiring Chairman, Dr. Donald R. Monke, Select Sires, who had served two consecutive three-year terms and was ineligible for re-election. Other members of the Board include Dr. Denny Funk, ABS, Dr. Mike Cowan, Accelerated Genetics, Al Kuck, Genex Cooperative/CRI, David Jensen, Hawkeye Breeders Service, Dr. Robert Welper, Alta Genetics and Dick Witter, Taurus Service

At the Board reorganization meeting immediately following the Business Session, Dr. Denny Funk was elected Chairman, Al Kuck, Vice Chairman and Dr. Mike Cowan, third member of the Executive Committee.

AWARDS

At Friday's Business Session, Dr. Donald R. Monke was presented two plaques by NAAB President Gordon A. Doak. One for retiring Director and the other serving as NAAB Chairman of the Board.

Next year's annual meeting will be held over the dates of September 13-14, 2006 in conjunction with the NAAB Biennial Technical Conference (September 14-15), at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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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