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Industry Profile - Gustavo Toro with Sexing Technologies and GRI
Like many of us, Gustavo Toro’s grandfather had a tremendous impact on his interest in cattle and agricultural business. Originally from Venezuela, Toro’s fond memories of being with his grandfather pushed him into his agricultural career.
“I spent a lot of good times at the hacienda in Venezuela were he had an interest on. No one from my family had been a true cattleman, but those times were stuck in my head and my passion for the cattle industry grew from there,” he says.
Toro began pursuing a career in the cattle industry in 1988. He attended the Yaracuy Institute of Technology in Venezuela, where he received a Livestock Technician degree.
“I had good friends who were involved in the cattle business, so we decided to go to animal science school together and since then I have considered myself a cattleman,” he says.
After receiving his degree, Toro managed a ranch in Venezuela, where he was advised by Dr. Jorge Ordoñez. Dr.Ordoñez introduced him to Dr. Jim McGrann, who was an extension economist for the Texas Cooperative Extension.
“I came to Texas A&M in 1995 to pursue my career in animal science following meeting with Dr. McGrann,” Toro says.
At Texas A&M, Toro received his Bachelor’s degree in animal science, and is now only a few credits away from a Master’s degree in agribusiness.
After trying several other positions within the cattle industry, Toro has now found a way to combine his interest in cattle with his international connections.
He is currently the marketing director for Sexing Technologies and Genetic Resources International, in Navasota, TX. GRI provides genetic improvement services for the livestock industry.
“Our star product is sexed semen and recently in vitro fertilization, which combined with sexed semen, provides a tremendous tool for genetic improvement with a reliable and affordable technique,” Toro said.
He said his opportunity to interact with the different sectors of agribusiness worldwide is what he enjoys most about his job.
With customers who are focused on making genetic improvements in their herds through these new breeding techniques, Toro realizes the need for them to keep accurate and detailed records.
“The herds that we interact with need to have precise record keeping for two major reasons. The work is intense in data base and the data is extremely important for the accuracy and success of the genetic service,” he says, “And the second reason is because they need to be able to monitor the results.”
For more information on Sexing Technologies and GRI, visit them online at http://www.griglobal.com
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