Designer cows are the dairy future

Victorian scientists in Austrlalia are using the latest DNA techniques to fast track the breeding of better, more productive and more profitable dairy cattle.

Victoria's Minister for Innovation, John Brumby announced this week Victorian scientists from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) were using the sequencing of the bovine genome, along with genotyping technologies, to find the genes that cause variations in the economic value of cattle.

"Thanks to this research, we can now tell, as soon as a bull calf is born, whether or not it carries the desirable genes to improve profitability," said Mr Brumby.

Victorians scientists can cut the breeding in dairy cattle, from four to two years, and it is anticipated that this research will enable dairy farmers to double the rate of improvement in the profitability of dairy farmers.

The Victorian dairy industry accounts for 13 per cent of world trade in dairy products, with the State's prime export markets being Asia and Europe.

Senior DPI researcher, Dr Ben Hayes will discuss the work being undertaken by the department at the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC) 2006 currently in being held Melbourne.

Minister for Agriculture, Bob Cameron, said that the work being undertaken by DPI scientists was of enormous importance to the dairy industry, one of Australia's modern success stories.

"What this research has established is that farmers no longer have to wait for potential bulls to be tested through the milk production performance of their daughters," Mr Cameron said.

"The best animals to breed from are selected, generation after generation."