FIRST PUREBRED TEXAS LONGHORNS ARRIVE IN NIGERIA FROM SEMKIN LONGHORNS
Charlene Semkin, owner of Semkin Longhorn, just returned to Perry after delivering 100 Texas Longhorn embryos to Nigeria, Africa. This will be the first purebred Texas Longhorns for Africa! Reproduction Enterprises, Inc. (REI) of Stillwater, OK and Semkin Longhorns of Perry, OK collaborated with a Nigerian livestock company to undergo an effort to improve the productivity of existing cattle in Nigeria. REI , a company with over 30 years of experience, is a provider of superior animal reproduction services both nationally and internationally. Semkin Longhorns, also with over 30 years of experience, produces proven quality registered Texas Longhorns.
Initially, Semkin shipped 200 units of Texas Longhorn semen to Xavier Livestock Co. owned by Wale Abel last January. Wale then made the decision that he also wanted the purebred Texas Longhorn bulls to use on his two herds, one being Bunaji and the other Endama cattle. The use of frozen embryos was determined to be the way to make this happen.
After months of correspondence, a team consisting of Charlene Semkin, a Texas Longhorn breeder, Les Hutchens and Casey Butler, two bovine reproduction specialists from REI, and Steven Hutchens, photographer, journeyed to Nigeria. The objective was to introduce the purebred Texas Longhorn cattle via the reproductive technology of embryo transfer into indigenous African cattle, both firsts for Nigeria.
The Xavier Livestock Company located outside the city of Ilorin, Nigeria is owned by Wale Abel and operated by a farm manager, a veterinarian, and a handful of Fulani herdsmen, a nomadic people with a traditional pastoral lifestyle. The company was established about 3 years ago and has roughly 200 head of cattle. A primary purpose of the trip was to assess the needs of the region and see how the expertise of the team could facilitate in the development of this pioneering Nigerian ranch. Rather than importing a live adult animal from the U.S., an embryo transfer calf born to a surrogate African cow has the advantage of being less expensive and also has a greater chance of survival due to improved adaptability. Texas Longhorns were chosen by this Nigerian ranch because of the breed’s hardiness, disease resistance, and ability to thrive in various environments.
The ten day duration of the stay was an experience to get a handle on the infrastructure, resources, and state of agricultural technology. The economy of Nigeria is one of the fastest growing in the world with a growth of 8 to 9 percent in both 2008 and 2009. However, despite this rapid increase in wealth the country has noticeable deficits which can translate into abundant opportunities. To better understand the expansion of agriculture within the country, visits were made with a representative from Nasrun Farm Services of Jimeta-Yola, Nigeria which has introduced outside cattle breeds to Nigeria via artificial insemination. Then an on farm visit to the Shonga Dairy Farm provided insight into potential possibilities and challenges faced in the Nigerian cattle industry. Due to the positive feedback from the visit, future exchanges are anticipated to follow.
After months of correspondence, a team consisting of Charlene Semkin, a Texas Longhorn breeder, Les Hutchens and Casey Butler, two bovine reproduction specialists from REI, and Steven Hutchens, photographer, journeyed to Nigeria. The objective was to introduce the purebred Texas Longhorn cattle via the reproductive technology of embryo transfer into indigenous African cattle, both firsts for Nigeria.
The Xavier Livestock Company located outside the city of Ilorin, Nigeria is owned by Wale Abel and operated by a farm manager, a veterinarian, and a handful of Fulani herdsmen, a nomadic people with a traditional pastoral lifestyle. The company was established about 3 years ago and has roughly 200 head of cattle. A primary purpose of the trip was to assess the needs of the region and see how the expertise of the team could facilitate in the development of this pioneering Nigerian ranch. Rather than importing a live adult animal from the U.S., an embryo transfer calf born to a surrogate African cow has the advantage of being less expensive and also has a greater chance of survival due to improved adaptability. Texas Longhorns were chosen by this Nigerian ranch because of the breed’s hardiness, disease resistance, and ability to thrive in various environments.
The ten day duration of the stay was an experience to get a handle on the infrastructure, resources, and state of agricultural technology. The economy of Nigeria is one of the fastest growing in the world with a growth of 8 to 9 percent in both 2008 and 2009. However, despite this rapid increase in wealth the country has noticeable deficits which can translate into abundant opportunities. To better understand the expansion of agriculture within the country, visits were made with a representative from Nasrun Farm Services of Jimeta-Yola, Nigeria which has introduced outside cattle breeds to Nigeria via artificial insemination. Then an on farm visit to the Shonga Dairy Farm provided insight into potential possibilities and challenges faced in the Nigerian cattle industry. Due to the positive feedback from the visit, future exchanges are anticipated to follow.
Charlene Semkin & Wade Abel
Charlene explained that in Nigeria, an obvious third world country, the people are very friendly, caring people. “They are very poor, but hungry for education,” said Charlene. “From an agriculture standpoint, their cattle have lots of disease and parasites.
That’s why our client selected Longhorns, because they are known to be hearty animals, resistant of disease and parasites.”
Charlene said she has a US Coast Guard Captain’s license and has sailed all over the world. “I’ve been on every continent except the Antartic and I’m not going there,” said Charlene. “I’m a warn weather woman.”
Charlene is hired to captain boats to sail them from location to another. She also works with Coastland Missions out of Australia, delivering supplies to countries that can only be reached by boat. “I have two lives,” laughed Charlene. “One on land and one on the sea.”
“I’m very pro-American,” said Charlene. “When I got back from Nigeria I wanted to kiss American soil. We are so priviledged...so bountiful.”
She was featured in March 2009 issue of Texas Longhorn Journal, the business publication of the Texas Longhorn Inudstry, in which it said, “This story starts in a small town in Oklahoma. Charlene Semkin of Semkin Longhorns in Perry, Okla. started her cattle dream more than 30 years ago.”
Charlene said she has raised three kids and put three kids through college with the money she has earned from raising Longhorns. She now has 200-plus head of cattle. She started with very little cattle experience and very little money, but that didn’t stop her from dreaming big and becoming a success story...one which she is now passing on to Wale, to give him the opportunity for the realization of the same dram as they press forward to pioneer a new Longhorn breed in Africa.
Charlene said she has a US Coast Guard Captain’s license and has sailed all over the world. “I’ve been on every continent except the Antartic and I’m not going there,” said Charlene. “I’m a warn weather woman.”
Charlene is hired to captain boats to sail them from location to another. She also works with Coastland Missions out of Australia, delivering supplies to countries that can only be reached by boat. “I have two lives,” laughed Charlene. “One on land and one on the sea.”
“I’m very pro-American,” said Charlene. “When I got back from Nigeria I wanted to kiss American soil. We are so priviledged...so bountiful.”
She was featured in March 2009 issue of Texas Longhorn Journal, the business publication of the Texas Longhorn Inudstry, in which it said, “This story starts in a small town in Oklahoma. Charlene Semkin of Semkin Longhorns in Perry, Okla. started her cattle dream more than 30 years ago.”
Charlene said she has raised three kids and put three kids through college with the money she has earned from raising Longhorns. She now has 200-plus head of cattle. She started with very little cattle experience and very little money, but that didn’t stop her from dreaming big and becoming a success story...one which she is now passing on to Wale, to give him the opportunity for the realization of the same dram as they press forward to pioneer a new Longhorn breed in Africa.
Semkin has been breeding Texas Longhorns since 1975. The herd was move from Arizona to Perry in 1995. Charlene also introduced the first Texas Longhorns to New Zealand, Australia, and Venezuela. Africa is the forth country to add Texas Longhorn genetics to their cattle industry.
Charlene Simkin implants the first frozen Longhorn embryo into the local cattle in Nigeria. She is pictured with partners Les Hutchens and Casey Butler, two bovine reproduction specialist
s from REI, and Steven Hutchens, photographer, and their client, Wale Abel.
VISIT Semkin@mindspring.com or her website at www.semkin-texaslonghorns.com.