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From left: Ann Scott (LIC), Bryan and Suzanne Jackson and Murray King (LIC chairman).
LIC Sire Proving Scheme (SPS) Farmers of the Year Bryan and Suzanne Jackson have been in the programme for 18 years.
Bryan told Dairy News he is proud to be among farmers helping shape the dairy industry of the future.
The Jacksons use unproven bulls in the herd on their farm at Kereone, Morrinsville.
“We don’t have a choice of bulls; we use different bulls every day for a five week AB programme.
“We score the daughters on various traits like temperament and adaptability to milking when they enter the herd two years later.”
SPS farmer feedback helps LIC assess the bull daughters for various production, health and fitness traits.
Bryan says one advantage of joining the SPS is having access to genetics well before other farmers. He has seen productivity rise in his 450-cow herd – from 300kgMS/cow 20 years ago to about 500kgMS/cow now.
He says he is “really stoked’ to have won the SPS farmer of the year award.
Suits a stable hand
According to LIC, the SPS suits farmers with stable herds who can commit for a minimum of four years.
An interest in breeding is essential, as are good organisation and record keeping skills.
The data they collect gives each bull a ‘daughter proof’. Bulls with the best proofs are then marketed to the wider dairy industry.
The ‘daughter proof’ also helps to validate and refine the accuracy of LIC’s genomic data used to breed and select bull calves coming into the scheme year on year.
Information collected as part of the Sire Proving Scheme includes:
Insemination - non return rates
Calving - calf defects, calving assistance
Rearing - health issues, traits, general performance
Milking - herd test information, live weight data, traits other than production.
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Opening a new $3 million methane research barn in Waikato this month, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay called on the dairy sector to “go as fast as you can and prove the concepts”.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
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Academic and former Fonterra director Nicola Shadbolt has been elected as LIC director.
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New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
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The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.
