Genomic Breeding Values. Last month Beef Central reported on the progress of the development of Genomic Breeding Values (GBVs). GBVs are linked to the Northern Genomics Project, which has run for about five years, and has included more than 30,000 heifers being genotyped and phenotyped.
The Project has focused on creating accurate GBVs for crossbred, composite and other herd animals in northern Australia, and this has included a proportion of Hereford cross livestock.
GBVs aim to enable commercial herds to select bulls and heifers for improved fertility and performance on an industry-wide scale. The GBVs can also be used to benchmark northern Australian beef enterprises for their genetic level for different traits.
Recently Herefords Australia contributed to the project by running some genotypes through the GBV generator. At this stage, the researchers are investigating details like accuracy of traits for individual animals and the herd average, and how the data is communicated.
It is important to note GBVs are not designed to compete with technology such as BREEDPLAN. Rather, the aim is to provide an alternative selection tool, particularly for breed and crossbred animals that don’t have a current benchmarking measure for performance. You can read more about Genomic Breeding Values here Weekly genetics review: Accelerating genetic gain – the role of Genomic Breeding Values – Beef Central
Agricultural Outlook. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) recently released its September quarter outlook for agriculture, including beef and veal. While some softening of saleyard prices is expected (due to slowing herd rebuilding), export value continues to hover near record highs due to increased production and ongoing strong world beef prices. You can read more about the outlook and the opportunities and headwinds here. Beef and veal: September quarter 2022 – DAFF (agriculture.gov.au)
Bio Security. Industry continues to monitor for the risk of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). Check out the latest from:
- The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
- Animal Health Australia – FMD and LSD
- Meat and Livestock Australia
Nail sale day with these tips for top sires. Published by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), this article outlines various genetic tools available to help pre-select sires that meet your breeding objectives. It also contains links to a range of resources including:
- Bull Breeding Soundness Evaluation, (VBBSE, or BULLCHECK™)
- Practical video tutorials, ‘How do I shop for a high performing bull?’
- Link to MLA’s genetics hub for more tips, tools, and information.