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Ian Hopping uses sexed semen on heifers will help achieve good quality early replacements as well as fast-tracking our genetic gain. Ian believes if you’re investing in a sexed straw, you’re better to use it on a heifer rather than a high producing cow with a lower chance of conceiving.

“In the past, many farmers ordered semen based on what they did the previous year,” he says. “Now, we are having discussions based on what farmers’ herd recording data is telling us about groups of animals in their herd and how we can make breeding decisions that will increase the value of their progeny. It’s a trend we’re seeing in the South Island and nationwide. “As a result, many farmers are now considering a wider range of options for their breeding programme, such as sexed semen, LowN sires, polled sires and alternative dairy beef breeds.”

CRV Managing Director James Smallwood was honoured to be part of the National Sustainability Showcase at Te Papa in Wellington – this time as an industry partner, not an entrant! The event is part of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards and is run by the New Zealand Environment Trust (NZET), of which CRV is proud to be a strategic partner. It is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate good farm practices that promote sustainable land management.

Genetics will play a key role in helping farmers achieve a premium for their milk as part of Fonterra’s new Cooperative Difference Programme. CRV Managing Director James Smallwood says it makes sense that farmers who have invested in tools and solutions, such as genetics, to produce high-quality milk from healthy and productive herds, are rewarded.