The seven-year programme is being led by Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC), with funding support from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and DairyNZ, and is intended to drive improvements in the health and wellbeing of New Zealand's cows.
While specifics as to how many farms will be involved in the programme are yet to be determined, ''Resilient Dairy: Innovative Breeding for a Sustainable Future'' is being jointly funded by LIC, which is investing $11.2million, MPI with $10.3million and DairyNZ with a $4.2million contribution.
The money will go towards new disease management technologies and advancement and genomic science to both produce better cows and improve cow productivity.
Steve Penno, MPI's Director of Investment Programmes, said the aim was to deliver long-term economic and animal health benefits.
''For New Zealand to maintain its reputation as a world-leading producer of premium products, we need to further increase the value of our products in a way that improves sustainability,'' he said.
LIC, as the largest supplier of artificial breeding services to New Zealand's dairy farms, will leverage its existing capabilities in genomic science and diagnostics to develop innovative breeding tools and tests that support more sustainable milk production.
''We're committed to providing farmers with the tools they need to improve their prosperity and productivity in a sustainable way, with animal health, wellbeing and the environment at the forefront,'' said Richard Spelman, LIC's Chief Scientist.
''This programme will strengthen our existing research and development work to keep our farmers and New Zealand leading the global pastoral dairy system,'' said Mr Spelman.
Investment from industry-good body DairyNZ will go into re-building its national evaluation system for dairy cattle to incorporate genomic information to enable faster rates of genetic gain.
-By Brent Melville
