Angus, Hereford and Simmental stud breeders are being encouraged to nominate sires for use in a ground-breaking innovative beef genetics programme.
The Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme is seeking bulls for the next mating season on Pamu’s Kepler farm near Te Anau and Lochinver Station near Taupo.
The seven-year INZB partnership, supported by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the New Zealand Meat Board, aims to boost the sector’s profits by $460m over the next 25 years.
It is focused on increasing the uptake of use of genetics in the beef industry. The four main components are building a genetic evaluation and data infrastructure, progeny test herds, developing breeding objectives and indexes and developing new data sources.
Dr Jason Archer, genetics specialist at B+LNZ and INZB science lead, says the Beef Progeny Test (BPT) allows breeds to be compared as well as bulls.
“It means B+LNZ can evaluate good bulls on the same level playing field while demonstrating the differences and similarities between the breeds as well as the benefits of hybrid vigour.
“The BPT is playing a critical role in creating a stronger future for New Zealand’s beef farmers and the industry.”
Breeders of bulls selected for use in the BPT will be provided with detailed information about the performance of their bull’s progeny including processing data (in the case of steers).
The INZB BPT builds on data gathered from the previous Beef Progeny Test with mating carried out between 2014-2020 on several large-scale commercial cattle operations throughout the country, says Dr Archer.
Bull owners can nominate their bulls through the B+LNZ Genetics website.
Nominations close on Friday 23 August.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Sam Halstead on 027 474 6065 or sam@latitudesc.co.nz