increase font size
LIC chief scientist and ICAR co-chair Bevin Harris.
About 1000 people will this month travel to New Zealand for three prestigious animal recording and genetics conferences.
For the first time, the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP) will hold its four-yearly conference in NZ.
The congress will be combined with the annual conferences for the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) and Interbull – the leading event for research and development in animal improvement, milk testing, DNA parentage analysis, genomics and genetics.
Discussion topics will include parentage verification, breeding and genetic evaluation, ear tags, technology and herd testing.
LIC chief scientist and ICAR conference co-chair, Bevin Harris, says the events – attended mainly by researchers, scientists and other professionals – are something for the NZ animal industry to be proud of.
“It’s like the Olympics of the animal genetics world coming to NZ. These are the biggest events on the industry’s event calendar,” says Harris.
“This represents a huge recognition of our country’s animal genetics industry and is a great opportunity to showcase our animal recording and technological developments. NZ is a leader in this field so what better way to show this than by hosting these conferences.”
Previous WCGALP events have been held in Spain, UK, Canada, France, Brazil, Germany and the US.
NZAEL manager and ICAR conference co-chair, Jeremy Bryant, says this will be the first trip to NZ for many of the visitors.
“We want to showcase the latest and greatest of animal recording and genetics and give visitors a hands-on insight into the NZ agricultural scene.”
The taste of NZ’s primary industries is offered to the visitors on field trips, including a trip to a Waiheke Island oyster farm and a day in Waikato visiting artificial breeding facilities and local dairy farms.
All three events will be held at Aotea Centre in Auckland, the first event starting on February 7.
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.
OPINION: Microplastics are turning up just about everywhere in the global food supply, including in fish, cups of tea, and…
OPINION: At a time when dairy prices are at record highs, no one was expecting the world's second largest dairy…
