Monday, 13 November 2023 11:22

B+LNZ seeks views on beef genetics

Written by Staff Reporters

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INZB programme lead Gemma Jenkins

The Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme is asking farmers, beef breeders and rural professionals, including agricultural consultants and facilitators, stock agents and vets, to take part in its annual industry survey.

INZB is a seven-year Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures partnership supported by Beef + Lamb New Zealand, the New Zealand Meat Board and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

It aims to boost the sector’s profits by $460 over the next 25 years. It is developing a beef genetic evaluation system that includes traits that are important to New Zealand beef farmers, supporting a sustainable beef farming industry.

The survey tracks awareness, knowledge and use of genetic tools in the New Zealand beef industry over time.

INZB programme lead Gemma Jenkins says responses to the survey play a key role in shaping the future of the programme by directing and informing the activities and development of resources, and to measure changes in views and the uptake of genetic tools in the industry over time.

“In the previous two industry surveys, we’ve gained significant insights into the perspectives of the industry and how extension activities and resources are best delivered to different demographics,” says Jenkins.

“We’ve seen a rising awareness of genetic tools within the industry, highlighting the importance of initiatives like the across-breed Beef Progeny Test and the development of a New Zealand-specific genetic evaluation and breeding indexes,” she says.

The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and answers will remain anonymous. Completed surveys will go into a draw to win a $100 Prezzy Card.

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