The New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB) has confirmed funding to back a genetics programme set to boost beef sector profits by $460 million.
Following consultation with farmers, the board confirmed it will provide up to $1m this year for the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) genetics programme, which was started earlier in the year.
The INZB programme is focused on increasing the uptake of genetics in the beef industry.
The NZMB joins the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Beef + Lamb NZ in supporting the seven-year Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) partnership.
The five components of the programme are building a genetic evaluation and data infrastructure, progeny test herds, developing breeding objectives and indexes, developing new data sources and designing and delivering a new model of farmer extension for beef genetics.
The programme will give commercial farmers the ability to easily source the right genetics for their environment and farm system and drive greater profitability.
NZMB chair Andrew Morrison says several farmers who responded to the consultation recognised the value and importance of the board’s contribution to industry good activities.
“The board has responsibility for $82.2m of farmer reserves and returns generated from the prudent management of these reserves is supporting the industry to invest in areas such as beef genetics to increase the sector’s productivity and profitability,” Morrison said.
NZ sheep and beef farmers benefit directly from the industry-good funding delivered by the NZMB, he said.
Through the consultation farmers encouraged the NZMB to ensure there is necessary research into dairy beef.
“B+LNZ is continuing to invest in dairy beef and bobby calf initiatives in conjunction with the dairy industry and MPI.
“Informing New Zealand Beef is laying the groundwork for this activity by building the skills and infrastructure to ensure the sires supplied to the dairy industry are of the highest quality.”
B+LNZ is also working collaboratively with the dairy industry and internationally to ensure the data system between farmers, industries and consumers is set up effectively and efficiently.
“This will ensure genetic gain for eating quality can be captured by the dairy beef industry.”
Andrew Morrison
Beef + Lamb NZ
“This is a necessary step to linking consumers all the way through the supply chain and back to the sire for their meat.
“This will ensure genetic gain for eating quality can be captured by the dairy beef industry,” Morrison said.
“The board assured that B+LNZ is partnering with dairy industry organisations and government on three different initiatives to improve the use of non-replacement dairy calves.
The NZMB acknowledged some farmers may be concerned about INZB duplicating the Breedplan programme.
“Breedplan is an effective evaluation for many stud breeders and INZB plans to work with the providers of Breedplan to ensure that NZ’s non-stud farmers can also capture the value of Breedplan data in their business.”
The programme is going to some length to ensure it is not replicating existing tools through strong links to the breed societies, Performance Beef Breeders NZ (PBBNZ), international experts and stud breeders.
The INZB programme also includes a substantial extension effort including beef forums and online Better Beef Buying workshops.
“The programme will enable Beef and Lamb NZ to investigate and evolve the genetics extension offering to ensure farmers can make more informed decisions,” Morrison said.
