Oct. 27, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact:

Crystal Albers, Assistant Director of Communications/Web Editor, at 816-383-5100 or calbers@angus.org

Angus Potential in Russia

Sparked by Angus pioneers in the 1870s, ingenuity and perseverance built the U.S. Angus herd into what it is today. But like those early Angus adopters, Sergey Goncharov is starting at square one.

The Russian entrepreneur and owner of Sputnik Angus farm is working to build the Angus breed in northwest Russia near historic Saint Petersburg — an area sparsely populated by dairy cattle and egg hatcheries. Goncharov and fellow Russian cattlemen see potential in their vast grasslands and hope to expand the country’s agricultural industry. The key to expansion, Goncharov says, lies in Angus cattle.

“I thought Angus was the best investment to make,” Goncharov said through an interpreter during an Oct. 26 tour of the American Angus Association^®. “Agriculture has the most potential for Russia and will be an important part of its growth.”

Goncharov visited the Association Monday, along with Kate Zimina, Sputnik’s veterinarian and certified ultrasound technician; and Oxana Shvedova, farm manager and embryologist.

Although not their first trip to the United States, it was the Russian group’s first tour of Association headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo. They spoke with Association staff members, viewed national Angus advertising and learned more about the American Angus business.

As non-resident members of the Association, Goncharov hopes to register much of the farm’s next calf crop thanks to the purchase of U.S. semen, and the farm’s successful applications of embryo transfer and artificial insemination (AI).

There are challenges, however, he notes. Transportation and a poor infrastructure are significant hurdles, and Russia currently has no official Angus association to register cattle or conduct genetic evaluations.

Despite this, Goncharov believes the power of Angus will far outweigh the challenges.

“We’re trying to get better, to grow,” he said.

The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef organization, serving more than 30,000 members across the United States and Canada. It provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on the power of Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.

For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association’s programs and services, visit www.angus.org.

###