Editorial: Fewer herds, more milk
OPINION: The latest New Zealand Dairy Statistics report paints a picture of an industry trending towards fewer but larger herds.
Worth said in 1991 the Jersey represented 26% of the national herd – now it was just 12.4% - “a dangerous position”.
“I have no doubt the dairy industry is stronger with a 25% presence of the Jersey breed in our national herd.”
He intended to encourage existing Jersey farmers to breed a surplus and sell them into a national pool.
“Secondly we will present AB options to the industry that will tempt other breeds to cross. Clearly the second is my focus.
“Day to day my drive is to present two Jersey bulls, both daughter and DNA proven, to the industry that Jersey cow farmers can be proud of and that KiwiCross and Fresian farmers can’t resist.”
Worth said from 1989-1991 he was an LIC technician when even third-generation Friesian farmers could not get enough of Jersey sire Judds Admiral because his EBI (economic breeding index) was 14 points higher than the next pretender.
“The whole industry benefited from his bloodlines. The Jersey breed needs a Dante, an Admiral, a Manhatten and we need bulls of this calibre at the rate of a couple a year, not settling for one of these supersizes every five years.”
Key points of his job will be to build strong relationships between LIC and the breeder, breed a high quality selection of cows for contract breeding and the selection of sires which would ultimately sire sons.
“When I look back over my time as a breeder and dairy farmer, the ultimate achievement was to have selected a sire of sons. We need to get back to that. The selection of sires of sons in the Jersey programme will be concentrating on the very best.”
He also said he would not compromise the coat colour of the Jersey. Meanwhile bull acquisition manager Simon Worth said the KiwiCross breed was one of the most impressive initiatives through LIC.
“I am hugely excited to be able to tap into the cross-bred cow – she is efficient, fertile, aggressive and high indexing as well.”
“Kiwi farmers were demanding a KiwiCross product. We first realised the potential in 2004 when North Sea exploded onto the scene. His influence without a doubt has been enormous.
“In 2012 we are witnessing a new phenomenon, Howies Checkpoint, whose impact will be felt for many years to come.”
Worth said inseminations through DNA and daughter proven saw KiwiCross this year only 200 short of the one million mark.
At 32% this was second only to the Holstein
Friesian at 51%, a breed worth also championed later
in the day.
