Grassland Alliance opens up genetic base for New Zealand dairy farmers

Pasture-based seasonal dairy farming was once unique to our shores but increasingly as the demands of producing cost efficient milk are being realised globally so is the turn towards this form of dairying.

This spells good news for New Zealand dairy farmers who have long been recognised as leading the way in this field. And whilst it is obvious our pasture-based genetics are growing in demand off-shore the direct advantage for the kiwi dairy farmer will become more apparent via reciprocated access to more outcross and diverse grazing genetics from overseas.

The need to facilitate this was recognised recently by international herd improvement organisations CRV and NCBC Ireland. In February the Grassland Alliance, a joint venture seeking to develop genetics for pasture-based dairy farming systems around the world, was established between the two organisations, making it the largest and most specialised of its kind in the world.

Fertility and efficient production
Here in New Zealand CRV AmBreed anticipates the alliance with NCBC (Ireland’s largest AI company) will result in huge benefits for its dairy farming clients, opening up access to an extra gene pool whilst also benefiting our farmers through its international cooperation in further developing solutions for the daily challenges facing pasture-based dairy farmers.
 
The Grassland Alliance recognises fertility and efficient production based on low-input rations are universal points of importance to farmers who keep their cows on a grass-based system. It will focus its activities at farmers who operate their farms under grazing regimes with countries New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa and South America being the main participants.

It aims to identify and select bulls with the best fit to the local grazing conditions in the different countries. As genomic technology develops CRV AmBreed could see new graduates appearing from, for example, Ireland in the same manner that bulls from the dutch program have succeed here.  “The Irish put an enormous weighting on fertility in their national breeding objective and ultimately this will throw some high fertility bulls that will work here,” says CRV Ambreed Marketing manager Peter Berney.

Likewise participating countries will be making use of New Zealand bred bulls providing CRV AmBreed with a larger basis for its breeding program, the chances of getting higher quality sires for release here, and the ability to reinvest in genetics and further product development.