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LiC Jersey team daughter proven breeders.
Top bull breeders met this month to celebrate their contribution to New Zealand’s dairy industry.
Breeders from all over the country were invited to LIC’s annual Breeders’ Day in Hamilton on April 14 after supplying a bull calf to the cooperative which went on to form part of its 2014 elite artificial breeding teams, Premier Sires.
LIC chairman and Nelson dairy farmer Murray King says the event recognises the co-op’s partnership with farmers who have bred a bull good enough to sire future generations of dairy cows.
“As a farmer, I stand in awe of what you have achieved. You are not only successful dairy farmers, but you also have the distinction of belonging to a unique group of farmers who breed bulls good enough to bear the Premier Sires title.
“LIC is immensely proud of our partnership with you, and the value it delivers – not just this year, but for years to come -- on the average Kiwi dairy farm, to the industry as a whole, and to the NZ economy. You can all take pride in knowing that your excellence in farming and animal breeding is making an enduring difference.”
The co-op’s Premier Sires bull teams are responsible for about three out of four dairy cows in NZ.
Since its Sire Proving Scheme was introduced 54 years ago, LIC has proven just over 10,000 bulls for widespread use on farms nationwide, with each year’s intake of bulls better than the year before, King said.
Prior to that, an analysis of sires in 1939 found that only 28% improved production, 33% maintained production and 39% lowered it.
“Back in the 1950s the evolving science of artificial breeding raised eyebrows, but any concern turned to delight when bull daughters started to deliver better production than their dams.
“There are many things LIC does which embody what it means to be a co-operative – to work closely with and for our farmers – and there’s no better example than sire proving and the Premier Sires team of bulls.”
LIC chief executive David Chin says meeting the revised methane reduction targets will rely on practical science, smart technology, and genuine collaboration across the sector.
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.
The first calves of a new crossbred dairy-beef offering are now on the ground at a Pamu (Landcorp) farm near Taupo.
Academic and former Fonterra director Nicola Shadbolt has been elected as LIC director.
Acclaimed fruit grower Dean Astill never imagined he would have achieved so much in the years since being named the first Young Horticulturist of the Year, 20 years ago.
The Ashburton-based Carrfields Group continues to show commitment to future growth and in the agricultural sector with its latest investment, the recently acquired 'Spring Farm' adjacent to State Highway 1, Winslow, just south of Ashburton.
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.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
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.
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