How genomic selection is transforming profit and resilience on dairy farms
Victorian dairy farmer Sam Simpson has transformed her herd from a 25 breeding index average to 300 in just 10 years, proving genetics can deliver extraordinary on-farm gains.
A decade of data-driven breeding has delivered genetic gains that previous generations of dairy farmers could only dream of, with industry figures revealing the average merit of top-rated bulls has more than doubled since 2015.
The average Holstein Good Bull now rates 441 on the Balanced Performance Index, up from 175 BPI in 2015, while Jersey Good Bulls have lifted from 198 to 328 over the decade.
Australian Red Breeds have also experienced significant genetic gain, with the average Good Bull now at 259 BPI, up from 184 in 2015.
DataGene chair Tim Jelbart, who runs an 1100 cow Holstein milking herd with his brother at Inverloch, said the figures confirmed that consistent selection delivers lasting progress.
“The beauty about genetics is that the gain is permanent and compounding.”
Genetics accounts for about 30 per cent of productivity gains on dairy farms.
“The gain over the past decade represents nearly 13 per cent per cow improvement every year, a sharp increase on previous decades and proof that genomics and data-driven breeding are delivering results like never before,” Mr Jelbart said.
Southwest Victorian dairy farmer Sam Simpson has seen the gains first-hand at her Larpent operation, Craiglands Holsteins, where the herd’s average BPI has jumped from 25 to 300 over 10 years.
“BPI is the cornerstone of our breeding program and a major management tool we use within our business,” Ms Simpson said.
The 400-cow herd’s top cow now sits at 526 BPI, returning $526 more per lactation than lower genetic merit animals.
“Given our average is sitting at $300, we have quite a few cows returning a significant return into the business,” she said.
Genomic selection has also delivered practical benefits beyond production gains, including helping Ms Simpson make critical destocking decisions during the drought.
“We’re able to breed cows for increased mastitis resistance, so we see fewer cases of mastitis, which means less money going out in treatment, and more money being generated because less milk is being withheld from the system,” she said.
