Climate-friendly cows closer
Dairy farmers are one step closer to breeding cow with lower methane emissions, offering an innovative way to reduce the nation's agricultural carbon footprint without compromising farm productivity.
CRV Ambreed says that dairy farmers looking for new ways to add cash to their back pocket may find something extra in the bull calf.
CRV Ambreed’s breeding team manager, Aaron Parker, says a bull calf could provide an extra $4,000 upfront if they are suitable for CRV Ambreed’s breeding programme. A proven bull can provide an additional $7,000 in income from graduation payments; sometimes more if a royalty option is chosen.
However, Parker says the financial benefits are just one spoke in the wheel. New Zealand dairy farmers will only be competitive long-term with greater genetic diversity and advancement across the national herd.
“CRV Ambreed is future focused and we’re building our portfolio to suit the broad range of environments, conditions and farming systems that our clients will be operating within in years to come,” Parker explains.
“While elite bull calves are more commonly sourced through contract mating, stud breeders and our embryo transfer programme, it’s the open market – farmers nominating their bull calves for our breeding programme – where the more unique bulls are discovered,” he says.
Legacy Friesian bull Firenze and current Jersey star Murmur are two examples of where farmers have offered bulls to CRV Ambreed through the open market, which have not only gone on to reward their breeders, but also the dairy industry as a whole.
In the end, Parker says the more bulls in CRV Ambreed’s breeding programme, the greater genetic diversity and the higher genetic gain for New Zealand’s entire national herd.
“Every New Zealand dairy farmer benefits by having a herd that produces more high value milk and lasts longer,” he adds.
“Farmers we haven’t worked with before could potentially have the genetic diversity that we are looking for and could hold the industry’s next superstar. We are really keen to talk to these farmers right across the country.”
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Minister Winston Peters is ratcheting up pressure on Fonterra farmers as they vote on divesting the co-operative’s consumer and related businesses.
Alliance Group's Pure South Handpicked 55 Day Aged Beef has been recognised on the world stage, securing top honours at the World Steak Challenge in the Netherlands.
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
OPINION: Voting is underway for Fonterra’s divestment proposal, with shareholders deciding whether or not sell its consumer brands business.
OPINION: Politicians and Wellington bureaucrats should take a leaf out of the book of Canterbury District Police Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.