Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Beef Breeding Services marketing and distribution coordinator, Greg Fawcett, said that in recent years many stud cattle managers had put their AI programs on hold primarily due to the prolonged run of dry seasonal conditions.

Mr Fawcett has been conducting the Beef Breeding Services (BBS) AI training courses for more than 20 years and has personally trained 1100 AI technicians throughout Queensland.

"It is gratifying to see so many of our BBS clients re-activating their technical skills to take advantage of newly released, readily available high performance tropical breed cattle genetics representing domestic and imported sire lines," Mr Fawcett said.

"At the BBS Rockhampton complex, there are more than 1 million semen straws stored on behalf of some 500 of our long term stud cattle owners."

Mr Fawcett said that to highlight just how durable the frozen semen can be, bull semen that had been stored for more than 40 years in liquid nitrogen at BBS was assessed this week and found to be viable.

"Unlike today's process where semen is processed into identifiable straws, semen collected 40 years ago was processed into pellets using dry ice moulds and then bulk stored in goblets," Mr Fawcett said.

"To know that we could use this semen that has been in storage for more than 40 years to successfully impregnate a cow certainly justifies the collection of high value genetics as a long-term insurance policy for in-demand bulls."

BBS operates a bull depot at Belmont collecting and processing semen and then offered storage and marketing options from the DPI&F Parkhurst complex.

Mr Fawcett said in-demand genetics were being sold for up to $140 a straw but quality semen from registered sires across all breeds is available from around $20/straw.

Mr Fawcett said that AI managers initiating a 10-day to six-week program must be prepared for an intensive labour commitment.

"Achieving commercially acceptable conception rates requires technical skill but careful female selection, astute stock management and accurate monitoring of heat detection are major contributors to a successful AI program," Mr Fawcett said.