LIC Jersey bulls make a strong comeback

Media release

5 April 2016

LIC Jersey bulls make a strong comeback

LIC’s Jersey Premier Sires bulls have cemented their position at the top of the national Jersey Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list, released at the weekend.

This is good news for dairy farmers who prefer to get their Jersey inseminations from their farmer-owned co-operative.

Among a range of positive statistics on the Jersey RAS list, LIC has all of the top 5 bulls. It also has 8 of the top 10 and 11 of the top 15 bulls on the Jersey RAS list. Of the 11, 9 are new graduates which illustrates the change in LIC’s momentum.

“In these economically challenging times for dairy farmers, LIC’s Jersey Premier Sires bulls offer exceptional quality and value for money,” LIC Jersey Bull Acquisition Manager Malcolm Ellis said.

“As a dairy farmer myself who is passionate about farm profitability, and particularly at times like these, I want farmers to have the confidence that Jersey Premier Sires will give them the best value, at around $19 in the cow for a 400-cow herd for the average farmer.

“The Premier Sires liquid semen is the most cost-effective way to provide genetic gain to our farmer- shareholders. They can be confident the majority of the industry’s top Jersey bulls are now within the LIC Premier Sires team,” Ellis said.

LIC has now had the top 5 Jersey bulls on the Jersey RAS list for the last three consecutive Animal Evaluation runs. The RAS list ranks the bulls from all the companies that provide inseminations to dairy farmers nationwide. The latest list was released on Saturday (2 April 2016). The list is administered by the industry-good organisation DairyNZ.

LIC will be holding Jersey field days for farmers to share the latest information, give updates on its Jersey breeding programme and explain related aspects including LIC’s new Once a Day Selection Index.

There will be 7 field days in total across 5 regions – Northland, Waikato, Taranaki, Manawatu and the West Coast of the South Island. The first is in Taranaki on 12 April and the last on 3 May on the West Coast.

Ellis said LIC had improved the performance of its Jersey bulls significantly over the past five years, with a focussed programme of work.

“We have brought a return to basics mentality to our breeding scheme. We have put a lot of emphasis on strong, deep cow families and our bulls are graduating from that. We have had a significant fundamental shift in quality and we will continue to develop that for the good of our farmer-shareholders.”

Ellis said it was positive that so many new graduates were appearing on the RAS list because it confirmed LIC was focussing on the right things in its breeding programme.

“We are pleased our hard work in this area is paying off. The benefits of the quality of LIC’s top Jersey bulls will flow on to farmers who invest in inseminations from LIC Premier Sires Jerseys and confirm the Jersey breed’s status as a genuine parent breed with a great deal to offer the industry.”

The Jersey Ranking of Sires (RAS) list also shows:

· The top 5 bulls on the Jersey RAS list are all new graduates in the current season, from LIC’s Sire Proving scheme.

· The top bull on the Jersey RAS list is LIC’s Chardonnay Frankie, with a breeding worth of 270. Breeding worth is the expected economic ability of an animal to breed a future replacement.

LIC Jersey Field Days:

Dairy farmers are encouraged to attend LIC’s Jersey field days. They are as follows:

Taranaki

12 April 2016, 10.30am. Venue: Rob & Alison Thwaite, 2498 South Road, Hawera.

Manawatu

13 April 2016, 10.30am. Venue: Pedley Farm, 2002 State Highway 1, Palmerston North.

Northland

26 April 2016, 10.30am. Venue: Murray & Jodeen Cutforth, Hikurangi.

26 April 2016, 7.30pm. Venue: Commercial Hotel, 75 River Road, Dargaville.

Waikato

28 April 2016, 10.30am. Venue: Roger & Glenys Ellison, 1140 Manawaru Road, Te Aroha.

28 April 2016, 7.30pm. Venue: Burchell Pavilion, (Te Awamutu i-SITE Centre), 1 Gorst Ave, Te Awamutu.

West Coast

3 May 2016, 10.30am. Venue: Cheryl Gallagher, 76 Victoria Road, Westport.

ENDS

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