LIC ends year with $30.6m profit
Herd improvement company LIC has ended the 2024-25 financial year in a strong position - debt-free and almost quadrupling its net profit.
The genetic gain and value that LIC bulls are delivering on New Zealand dairy farms is confirmed in the latest Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list.
27 of the best 30 bulls on the All Breeds list are LIC’s, including the top 14 in a row of all breeds.
“These bulls are managed by LIC on our farmers’ behalf, with massive contributions from our top breeders and our Bull Acquisition team,” LIC general manager biological systems Geoff Corbett says.
“We want to thank everyone involved in the ongoing success of LIC genetics which is a truly collaborative effort. We are committed to continuing to provide farmers with exceptional permanent and cumulative genetic gain.”
Highlights from the RAS list released this week (October 9, 2016) include the following:
· Holstein Friesian: 44 of the top 50 Holstein Friesian bulls in New Zealand are LIC’s, including the top 11 in a row and 18 of the top 20.
· Jersey: LIC has eight of the top 10 Jersey Bulls and 13 of the top 15. LIC says this is an exceptional achievement by its bull acquisition manager jersey Malcolm Ellis, his team and breeders. Of the top 30 Jerseys on the RAS list, 20 are LIC’s.
· Crossbred: 23 of the top 25 Crossbred bulls on the RAS list are LIC’s – an outstanding result. This includes the top five in a row.
“We know farmers are looking for positives in these tough economic times. We believe the contribution that LIC genetics make to improving the longer-term prosperity and productivity of farming businesses is immense,” Corbett says.
As the sector heads into the traditional peak period for injuries and fatalities, farmers are being urged to "take a moment".
Federated Farmers says almost 2000 farmers have signed a petition launched this month to urge the Government to step in and provide certainty while the badly broken resource consent system is fixed.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
According to analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), New Zealand red meat exports reached $827 million in October, a 27% increase on the same period last year.
The black and white coat of Holstein- Friesian cows is globally recognised as a symbol of dairy farming and a defining trait of domestic cattle. But until recently, scientists didn’t know which genes were responsible for the Holstein’s spots.