BREEDING commercially relevant Herefords is pivotal for the long-term sustainability of the breed, with genetics playing a leading role in productivity and profitability.
In early April, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) hosted a two-day Livestock Genetics Forum in Adelaide where speakers from across the supply chain and research organisations discussed key topics under the theme ‘Impacting profitability and sustainability through genetics’.
With weather events, including prolonged droughts, impacting herd productivity and profitability, conference attendees learned about new genetic traits under investigation, and how producers are adapting their breeding programs to respond to variable climatic conditions.
A session designed for seedstock producers discussed the science behind the strategies that is accelerating breeding programs, while commercial producers heard more about breed selection methods to improve breeding herds and optimise performance.
These were just a handful of important R&D projects discussed over the two-day event. For members unable to attend the forum, video recordings of the individual presentations are now available on MLA’s YouTube channel. Scroll through the list and watch the topics of particular interest to you and your Hereford operations.
