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Breeding for improved health traits will be the next big drive at farm level for Irish dairy farmers to achieve even more progress to address climate change concerns, according to Teagasc's Donagh Berry.
Speaking at an IFA Clare dairy seminar in Ennis on Thursday night, Berry spelled out the shortcomings and future challenges with breeding in Ireland.
Our estimates suggest the breeding index has delivered in excess of €1.72bn
He said: “The EBI index for selecting better cows and sires is working. However, it’s only running at a fraction, about 33%, of what it could be delivering.
"Our estimates suggest the breeding index has delivered in excess of €1.72bn into Irish farmers' pockets since it started in 2001.”
Donagh explained that the next big focus needs to be on delivering animals that last longer in herds.
Yes, better fertility, better management, and better health traits feed into this, but Berry believes this will also be one of the solutions to the livestock climate challenge.
Carbon efficiency
“If we can get milking cows to live for an additional 1.5 years, then it dilutes all the environmental challenges.
"When we compared the cow milking in 2001 with a cow milking in 2014, that cow was 13% more carbon efficient.
"On health, we have made a start with tracking the genetic links of TB and liver fluke and we can see big genetic variation in both those diseases, so it means we can make progress in genetic selection.”
Berry believes dairy farmers will select between sires for TB resistance, the same way they select for fat and protein at the moment, depending on the prevalence of the disease in their particular area and disease history.
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