OTTAWA, Ont. – Turkey has approved imports of sheep and goat genetics from Canada, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Total Canadian exports of animal semen and embryos reached C$103.6 million in 2012, the agency reported. The Canadian Livestock Genetics Association (CLGA) estimates the potential value of the market in Turkey to be C$250,000 over five years.

"The Canadian Livestock Genetics Association thanks the government of Canada for finalizing these protocols," said Rick McRonald, president of the CLGA. "The demand in Turkey for Canadian sheep and goat genetics is growing, so the resolution of the interruption in technical market access came at a crucial time. Canadian exporters will now be able to engage with their Turkish clients and partners in the confidence that technical barriers to trade in semen and embryos have been removed."