LIC extends New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards sponsorship
LIC has reaffirmed its sponsorship of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) by signing up as a national sponsor for another three years.
The Jersey breed was one of the foundation stones of the New Zealand dairy industry; not so today with the number and popularity of these brown cows diminishing initially in favour of the larger-framed Friesians but more latterly for crossbreds.
But the pendulum could be about to swing back.
Until the late 1960s, the Jersey breed accounted for 70% of the national herd, today it's at 12.1% and that, according to LIC jersey bull acquisition manager Malcolm Ellis, "is a dilemma - not just for the breed but for the whole industry.
"The industry is better with Jerseys, it is one hell of a breed that's worth fighting for and there's a lot to be excited about now and in the future with the work we're doing.
"Based on the amount of milk solids they can produce for each kg of liveweight, Jerseys have a tremendous reputation for being a highly efficient breed, and I've seen farmers make this breed work across all systems.
"A system 5 Jersey farm I visited recently, for example, has a top cow just short of 500kgs liveweight - and it's going to hit a tonne of milk solids this season. Their 2-year-olds consistently exceed 600kgs milk solids in their first lactation which is 1.18 times their liveweight.
"That's massive, and it doesn't stop there - in system 3 and 4 farms I've seen 400kg Jerseys nailing up to 460kgs milk solids each, while system 1 and 2 rockets are also cracking the magical 1kg of milk solids for every 1kg of liveweight.
"These farmers are making the breed work for them, but the biggest problem facing Jerseys right now is they're currently running fourth in a three-horse race when it comes to farmer's mating choices, and their gene pool is getting lower each season."
New Zealand dairy farmers understand Breeding Worth (BW) as a basis for bull selection and a goal for their herd but Malcom says declining numbers mean the Jersey teams just haven't been up there in recent years so some have understandably made the switch to the popular Kiwicross.
"The Jerseys have got to regain BW respect because I know in this game, if you don't rock on the wall chart then you don't perform because that is what farmers base their decisions on.
"They're in a race against time to recapture genetic gain, but we've got to balance that with diversity in the genes too."
The Kiwicross™ cow is the most popular in New Zealand, but Malcolm says its continuity is enhanced with strong parent breeds, Jersey and Holstein Friesian, which allows the blend of traits that farmers want.
An independent report, prepared for Alliance farmer shareholders is backing the proposed $250 million joint venture investment by Irish company Dawn Meats Group.
Whangarei field service technician, Bryce Dickson has cemented his place in John Deere’s history, becoming the first ever person to win an award for the third time at the annual Australian and New Zealand Technician of the Year Awards, announced at a gala dinner in Brisbane last night.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
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