| Resumo: |
The artificial insemination industry provides breeding products and services for both dairy and beef cattle. Two-thirds of the industry is organized as producer-owned cooperatives. The industry has been so highly successful in meeting the needs of producers for a high-quality reliable product that the United States is the world's leading producer and exporter of bull semen. Yet, more bulls (and consequently more cooperatives) are available than are technically needed for genetic variation and breeding requirements. The result of such product proliferation is higher semen prices and excessive costs for inventory, distribution, and marketing. To maintain their prominent role in the industry, the 22 cooperatives need to consolidate to streamline the industry's structure. The cost savings from such restructuring would enable cooperatives to develop a significant program of biotechnology research.
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