GENETICS will play a critical role in making Australia’s beef and dairy industries more environmentally sustainable and profitable, a major conference has been told.
The GA 2024 Today, Tomorrow and Beyond conference hosted by Genetics Australia in Geelong on March 18 to 19 featured national and international speakers and farmers discussing emerging developments in the dairy and beef sectors.
The conference highlighted the success of the Australian genetics industry and its growing reputation on the international scene.
GA CEO Anthony Shelly said the conference reflected on the great achievements made by the Australian genetics industry over recent decades while also looking to the future at opportunities that would make the industries more sustainable and profitable.
“We all want to make sure the cow of the future is well managed, healthy and delivers on the things farmers and the people using our end products want, especially in the welfare and sustainable spaces,” Mr Shelly said.
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“The conference looked at the next level of innovation and what can be done by genetics and new technologies such as gene editing to accelerate change and deliver big returns for our planet and our people.
“We need to adopt and adjust to ensure our animals are more feed efficient, productive, methane efficient and have improved heat tolerance.
"These developments will be better for our animals, our farmers and our planet.”
The conference highlighted advances in beef on dairy, sexed semen, sustainability and heat tolerance traits among other developments in beef and dairy.
In a presentation on the next genetic frontier, Director of PEAK Genetics, Michael Schmitt, told the conference that there were sustainable solutions to every people, profit and planet challenge facing the industries.
“New technologies aren’t magic and can’t do everything, but tools exist to improve sustainability at the cow and farm level and advancements could accelerate that improvement and develop the cow of the future that addresses what consumers want,” he said.
Mr Schmitt said the connection between PEAK Genetics and Genetics Australia through GA’s joint venture with The URUS Group would help to build grazing genetics around the world.
DataGene CEO Matt Shaffer told the conference that Australia now performs well above the international average in genetic advancement and its investments are providing huge returns to dairy farmers.
Independent work commissioned by Dairy Australia and DataGene shows DataGene will contribute $980 million to the industry over the next 30 years, an exceptional return on investment with a benefit-cost ratio of 15.8 to 1.
“In the first seven years of DataGene, Dairy Australia invested $19 million and that has delivered $331 million in outcomes, a benefit-cost of 17.9 to 1,” Mr Shaffer said.
“We need to stop looking at our navel saying that the rest of the world does a better job than we do,” Mr Shaffer said.
“We do a fantastic job and it’s worth celebrating.”
The conference was the first of its type hosted by Genetics Australia and covered IVF systems, reduced emission feeding strategies, sexed semen, unlocking the World Angus Evaluation, the return on investment from 40 years of genetic improvement, the next genetic frontiers, the role of genetic improvement in creating greater integration between dairy and beef, and the importance of estrus intensity.
It is intended to hold the conference biennially.
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LOCAL breeders were amongst 11 predominantly Victorian farmers whose bulls have made a huge contribution on the national herd and many herds across the globe have been added to the Genetics Australia Honour Board.
Six Jersey, three Holstein and two Australian Reds breeders received the honour during the GA 2024: Today, Tomorrow and Beyond conference in Geelong on March 18, joining an elite group of master breeders.
Genetics Australia (GA) CEO Anthony Shelly said the honour board, which takes pride of place in the GA boardroom, features Australian as well as several overseas breeders who have bred bulls that made a significant mark on genetic improvement in Australia.
“Our latest breeders added to the list thoroughly deserve this accolade,” Mr Shelly said.
“While they all have different approaches to their breeding, all have made a massive contribution to the growth and genetic improvement of their respective breeds in Australia,” he added.
Traditionally, selection to the honour board was based primarily on proven bulls but today it is a broader combination of genomic and proven bull successes.
On the local front, Wallacedale Jerseys owned by Luke and Mel Wallace from Poowong North in Gippsland has some very popular bulls in the current GA line up including Homozygous bull STARK, as well as GOLDBANDP, PICKETT, DEPOLE, LEMONPEEL, and former number one bull PICKLE.
A number of herd’s high-rated genomic heifers have also been sold to Pakistan where they are showing the quality of Australian Jerseys, paving the way for increased semen sales.
Rob and Kerrie Anderson’s Kings Ville Jerseys at Drouin West in Gippsland has developed some of the breed’s finest cow families.
Kings Ville BEDFORD continues to sell in large numbers in South Africa and other Kings Ville bulls include BOOST, QANTAS and in the past year BASHFUL, sire of BEDFORD, obtained his first ABV.
A few new Kings Ville bulls are likely to be added to the 2024 sire line up.
Robert and Sandra Bacon developed Brookbora Jerseys at Tennyson in Northern Victoria, currently the number two BPI herd. Brookbora ASKN has been a very popular bull internationally and has daughters in US, CANADA, South Africa, Pakistan Europe, UK and Jersey Island.
BORUNG is currently the highest bull with milking daughters, from an ASKN daughter and the third Brookbora bull is AEROGLEN, sired by BORUNG. After Robert’s death last year, the herd is being continued by Sandra and their son Daniel.
