5 Oct 2011

Livestock breeding companies to collaborate

12:46 pm on 5 October 2011

Two rival livestock breeding companies are to collaborate in one area of their operations for the wider benefit of the dairy industry.

Livestock Improvement Co-Operative and CRV AmBreed of Holland, have agreed to share genetic information on their breeding bulls.

They say genetic gain is the single biggest contributor to lifting productivity on dairy farms.

LIC research and development head Richard Spelman says both companies have been investing heavily in building up genomic information on their Holstein-Friesian and Jersey bulls. He says it will give them a bigger data base.

CRV AmBreed managing director Angus Haslett says the two companies will continue to compete in other areas.

But he says swapping genomic information is a logical step in keeping New Zealand competitive in livestock improvement.