Crawford Brothers have exported 150 doses of their Euorpean champion bull Sauvignon's semen to South Africa. The Crawfords were contacted by the breeder from the la Rhone herd of limousins beside Capetown via their website.

They are top breeders in South Africa, winning all the majour shows there over the years.

The semen is to be used across their herd of 100 cows. This is only a hobby to them as their main business is fruit growing. Sauvignon entered the Cogent Stud two weeks ago to produce more conventional and sexed semen for the world markets.

Raymond Crawford said, "we are very pleased to enter into another new country with our product. The calves on the ground in the United Kingdom and Southern Ireland from Sauvignon and Vigot are excellent and in Poland they have just calved down 30 hefiers, all hefier calves to sexed semen from Vigot which is an excellent result of 100 per cent females born.

A breeder in Northern Ireland used sexed semen of Sauvignon and Vigot and had nine out of 10 held to first service and again 10 out of 10 hefier calves another 100 per cent achievement.

"I am in no doubt the female sexed semen has a place in the beef sector today whether it be pegriee or to breed replacements in the suckler herd," said Raymond.