Contract Win

Genus PLC
26 May 2004


For Immediate Release                                  26 May 2004

                                    Genus plc


                                  CONTRACT WIN

Genus plc, the World leading Bovine Genetics Company, announces that it has won
a prestigious contract with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra) to provide emergency veterinary and management vaccination
resources as a contingency against any future Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD)
outbreak in Great Britain. The Resource will enable emergency vaccination of
susceptible farmed livestock and other susceptible animal species if required.

Genus will work under the direction of the State Veterinary Service (which
covers all of Great Britain) but will be operationally ready to undertake a
programme of emergency vaccination within five days of an outbreak, if
requested.

Within the vaccination zone, the resources provided will be headed by vets and
will comprise 50 teams equating to 150 vaccination personnel. Each team will be
led by a Genus Team Leader who will be responsible for vaccination. The other
two members of each team will be responsible for record keeping and animal
handling. In addition Genus has committed to increasing the initial response to
meet any reasonable disease scenario.

Each 50-team zone, will be controlled from a 'mobile forward command centre',
staffed and operated by Genus personnel. Vets will provide veterinary direction
and expertise to vaccination teams.

The majority of the people will be supplied from Genus Bovine Genetics and Farm
and Rural Consultancy. The necessary equipment and consumables to maintain the
operation will be sourced, stored, maintained and distributed by Genus and the
contract will be run under the ISO 9001-2000 procedures of Genus' major contract
management unit, Genus International Consulting.

Commenting, Richard Wood, Chief Executive of Genus, said:

'I am delighted that Genus' breadth of expertise in the sensitive area of
disease control has been recognised by Defra. The contract clearly demonstrates
the synergy potential available between the Genus divisions'.

'We look forward to working with Defra to provide the resource, so important to
the safety and welfare of the UK's livestock and the future'.

Contact:
Richard Wood, Chief Executive, Genus plc                     01256 347101
David Timmins, Group Finance Director, Genus plc             01256 347102
Buchanan Communications                                      020 7466 5000
Charles Ryland / Catherine Miles




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