Tuesday, 17 September 2024 09:55

Breeding heat-tolerant cows for Africa

Written by  Staff Reporters
LIC chief executive David Chin. LIC chief executive David Chin.

LIC is embarking on a ground-breaking project aimed at breeding heat tolerant and disease resistant dairy cows for Sub-Saharan Africa, in collaboration with the global leader in precision breeding, Acceligen, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The initiative seeks to address food insecurity in the region by providing high-performing dairy animals to help grow sustainable dairy markets, contributing to improving human and animal welfare.

It will combine LIC's expertise in breeding efficient dairy cows for pasture-based systems with Acceligen's cutting-edge gene editing capabilities to produce animals that can produce more milk than native species.

LIC chief executive David Chin emphasises the benefit of this global collaboration.

"This is a big one for LIC and we are proud to be involved. Collaborating with Acceligen allows us to work with the very best in the world, whilst showcasing our advanced breeding capability to global markets.

"The initiative supports us to stay at the forefront of the latest technologies and is an opportunity to leverage international expertise with positive benefits for the dairy sector.

"As a leader in pasture-based dairy genetics and a farmer-owned co-operative, LIC supports dairy farmers to navigate their unique challenges and provide them with the right tools to breed the most sustainable and profitable herds.

"Gene editing technologies could help give farmers even more tools to improve their productivity and efficiency - and that's something we have to explore," says Chin.

Embryos bred from LIC's world-class pasture based genetics will be sent to the US, where Acceligen will perform gene edits on the stem cells. The embryos will then be transferred into dams that will give birth to gene edited sires. The bull calves will be transferred to Brazil for rearing. The semen will be collected from these sires and sold into Sub-Saharan African markets through a developed distributor network.

The New Zealand Government has committed to legislative change to enable the greater use of gene technologies, ending the effective ban on gene editing by the end of 2025. Chin says LIC is actively looking at the science and viability of adopting such tools for New Zealand farmers.

"We continue to explore gene editing as a breeding technology to ensure the co-operative stays current with this area of science so we can understand how the sector may adopt it in the future.

"LIC is supportive of tools that can enhance the productivity of the dairy sector and we are ready to adopt new technologies."

More like this

LIC ready for challenges ahead

Herd improvement company LIC says it's well-positioned for the challenges ahead and remains focused on its core purpose - delivering value for farmer shareholders.

Scheme to pick high potential 'underdog' bulls

Holstein Friesian NZ, and herd improvement co-operative LIC have launched a joint sire proving scheme that aims to select and prove Holstein Friesian bulls for New Zealand dairy farmers.

Featured

Working together, leading change

A group of Canterbury farmers who work together exploring the various uses of liquid injection systems on their seed drills was the worthy winner of the Working Together Award at the recent 2024 Arable Awards, says the group’s FAR Facilitator.

AR37 scientist scoops award

A scientist instrumental in the development and commercialisation of the novel endophyte AR37 scooped the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Science and Research Award at Beef + Lamb NZ Awards last night.

Editorial: Smithfield closure just the start?

OPINION: Rural New Zealand has been taking some very big hits of late. The latest of these, the closure of Alliance’s Smithfield plant at Timaru, is yet another blow for the heartland – the engine room of the economy.

Bolger to rejoin Fonterra

Matt Bolger, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of The University of Waikato Management School, is joining Fonterra’s management team from March next year.

National

Machinery & Products

Quick, accurate access to data

Agri-tech company Precision Farming is linking with John Deere’s Operations Centre guidance technology to automate nutrient and spray record-keeping and…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Seaweed wonder

OPINION: Research across the ditch has found that seaweed doesn’t just make a tasty wrap for sushi rolls.

Sour grapes

OPINION: As a country we should be celebrating Fonterra’s solid annual results announced last week.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter