An 'administration error' has led to the destruction of Australia's largest stockpile of prized buffalo semen.
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The mating program for the Northern Territory Government's Riverine buffalo breeding herd at its Beatrice Hill Research Farm will be done "the old fashioned way" this season, after the loss of frozen semen stored on behalf of the NT Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (DITT).
The NT Buffalo Industry Council said it was informed in April that an administration error by a third party had caused more than 2,000 straws of buffalo semen to be destroyed.
For the first time in many years the animals' genetic selection via use of prized imported Riverine semen won't be done with the help of artificial insemination.
Other buffalo producers will also not be able to purchase straws from the NT Government stockpile if needed.
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"As a result of this incident the Department currently does not have the ability to do any artificial insemination of buffalo," DITT's Tim Schatz said.
"Unless more straws are obtained, all future matings will have Riverine bulls back on the job at NTG's Beatrice Hill Research Farm be done naturally using bulls.
"To this end, the department has kept several young Riverine buffalo bulls that can be used for mating."
The Department said all 2,332 destroyed buffalo semen straws were owned by the NT Government, including more than 400 straws of Italian Riverine semen imported in 2019, as well as older Riverine buffalo semen collected by the former Department of Primary Industries.
More than 1500 straws of older locally-collected Asian water buffalo semen were also lost.