Farmers now have a powerful new tool to help them select the best bulls for their farm business, with Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) launching nProve Beef, a free, easy-to-use online genetics tool.
Farmers now have a powerful new tool to help them select the best bulls for their farm business, with Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) launching nProve Beef, a free, easy-to-use online genetics tool.
Unveiled at the B+LNZ Genetics Beef Breeder Forum in Christchurch on 18 March, nProve Beef is a key component of the B+LNZ-funded Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme, which is designed to put genetics insights into the hands of commercial farmers.
Dan Brier, B+LNZ’s general manager farming excellence, says the tool has been built in collaboration with commercial farmers for use by commercial farmers.
“nProve has been designed to enable farmers to quickly and easily refine their bull selection based on their specific needs.
“By using simple sliders and filters, farmers can customise what they are looking for in their bull team. With the click of a button, nProve generates a tailored list of stud breeders offering bulls that best match their breeding objectives.
“The launch is timed with bull buying season approaching, ensuring farmers can make informed decisions that will deliver better productivity, efficiency, and profitability for their businesses.”
A major milestone in the rollout of nProve Beef is the introduction of New Zealand-designed beef breeding indexes – putting even more decision-making power into the hands of farmers.
The Maternal (NZ$Maternal), Terminal (NZ$Terminal), and Beef-on-Dairy (NZ$BeefxDairy) indexes provide an economic value for key genetic traits, tailored to New Zealand’s unique farming systems.
These indexes help farmers select bulls that align with their specific breeding objectives, whether they are breeding replacements, finishing cattle, or supplying beef genetics to the dairy industry.
The development of nProve Beef and the breeding indexes has been a collaborative effort with farmers, Angus NZ, NZ Herefords, Simmental NZ, the NZ Beef Shorthorn Association, Performance Beef Breeders and AbacusBio, ensuring the tool is practical, effective and meets the needs of farmers.
As part of the rollout, B+LNZ will run Better Beef Breeding workshops across the country. These workshops will include dedicated sessions to help farmers get the most out of nProve Beef and the new indexes when selecting bulls for their herds.
Farmers can start using nProve Beef immediately with no registration required at nprove.nz, where they’ll also find helpful tips to get started.
The seven-year INZB programme is a partnership between B+LNZ and the Ministry for Primary Industries, co-funded through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (SFFF). It has also been supported by the New Zealand Meat Board.
The programme aims to increase the uptake of high-quality genetics in New Zealand’s beef industry, delivering an estimated $460 million boost to sector profits.
ENDS
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