A new genetic technology for the dairy industry is proving popular with 800,000 inseminations projected in the first year. Livestock Improvement says its initial estimate of 300,000 inseminations in the first year has proven to be conservative. The cooperative says farmers are embracing the new DNA Proven technology which has the ability to identify elite artificial breeding sires from their DNA rather than conventional daughter proving. The company has also launched the technology to farmers in UK and Ireland. LIC chief executive Mark Dewdney says the technology will continue to improve and it expects to be able to increase the number of gene types from the current 50,000 level to hundreds or thousands, extending the predictive ability even further. "˜The heart off our core purpose is to genetically improve our customers' animals, and DNA Proven will drive that at rates never before possible,' he told the LIC annual meeting in Hamilton this month. Historically LIC has delivered 10 Breeding Worth (BW) units of annual gain. It believes the new DNA Proven will increase this to 15 "“ 17 units annually, a record level. "˜This will significantly improve the competitive position of New Zealand farmers.' Mark Dewdney told Rural Press
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