Genus plc

Genus plc is a British-based business selling elite genetics and other products manufactured using biotechnology to cattle and pig farmers. It is headquartered in Basingstoke and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

History

The business has its origins in the former Breeding & Production Division of the Milk Marketing Board which was established in 1933 and broken up in 1994.[3] In 1999 Genus acquired ABS Global, a company founded by J.R. Prentice in the US as the American Breeders Service in 1941 selling the semen of cattle.[4] In 2005 Genus acquired, through the takeover of Sygen International plc, PIC, a company founded by six pork producers in the UK as the Pig Improvement Company in 1962.[5]

Operations

The company has three divisions:[6]

PIC's pedigree herds sire an estimated 30% of commercially reared pigs.[7]

  • ABS - products for cattle
  • PIC - products for pigs
  • Genus R&D - management of the research and development pipeline for cattle, pigs and other species.

References

  1. About Us - Our Team Genus plc, retrieved 2 August 2023^
  2. Annual Report 2025 Genus plc, retrieved 28 January 2026^
  3. The BSE Inquiry^
  4. Genus agrees to acquire ABS Global Milwaukee Business Journal, 3 August 1999, retrieved 1 March 2020^
  5. Genus Completes Acquisition Of Sygen The Pig Site, retrieved 28 March 2015^
  6. Genus Market Watch, retrieved 25 March 2018^
  7. Hannah Devlin. Scientists genetically engineer pigs immune to costly disease The Guardian, 20 June 2018, retrieved 11 December 2021^