Kiwi spearheads global Jersey strategy revamp
The global organisation for Jersey breeders has undergone a strategy refresh - spearheaded by new president and the first New Zealander to hold the post, Alison Gibb.
The sale of a line of elite, high BW, young Jersey cows and heifers is attracting interest from farmers across the country.
The onfarm sale is being held by NZ Farmers Livestock on the vendor’s farm at Matamata on Tuesday (April 5th).
Vendor, Herb Wuest, said the cows have 22 years of selected breeding behind them.
“I bought the nucleus of the herd back in the mid 1990s and since then have personally selected and nominated AB sires (from the two big New Zealand genetics companies) which complement each cow.
“I never chased BW. My priority was to breed cows that have exceptional functional traits – capacity, fertility, stature, protein, temperament and udder conformation. The fact they have high BW is one indication of their quality,” Wuest said.
Several of the 96 x 2-5yr cows have indexes in the range of BW 345 and PW 746 with an overall average of BW of 255 and PW of 286.
The 26 x R2yr heifers average BW of 255 and PW of 253. Seventy five percent of the cows are A2A2 and 80% of the heifers are A2A2.
Herb Wuest said deciding to sell the young stock has been “tough but my head had to over-rule my heart. We are downsizing and I can’t take the entire herd with us.”
The onfarm auction will take place at the Wuest farm, 75 Rapurapu Road, Matamata at 12 noon on Tuesday 5 April. Farmers have the option to either attend the sale and bid ringside, or online via MyLivestock.co.nz.
Farmer lobby group Federated Farmers has announced it is supporting a new Member’s Bill which it says could bring clarity to New Zealand farmers and save millions in legal costs.
DairyNZ has announced the date for its upcoming Milksolids Levy vote.
Federated Farmers says climate protest group Greenpeace is manufacturing outrage and attempting to scare New Zealanders with headlines that have no basis in science.
New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) says it is supporting importer Goodfood Group in its decision to recall Food Snob and Mon Ami brand French Brie and Camembert cheeses.
New Zealand's dairy industry is right to call out Donald Trump over the damage the additional 15% tariff the US is imposing on our exports but also imposition on lower tariffs on our competitors.
Applications are now open for the Agri Futures Scholarships, helping young Kiwis from rural backgrounds kickstart careers in agriculture and rural sports.