Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Report 2010.pdf

2010 In Review
NHIA activities
By Carol Millar
NHIA General
Manager
The Dairy Industry Data Project Report 2010 is a
landmark publication for the herd improvement
industry and represents the most comprehensive
examination of the state of dairy data ever done in
Australia. For that reason, it is worthwhile to review
the contents of this report which was prepared by
independent consultancy firm, GHD.
Context
“We believe that the time is right for the Australian
dairy industry to make a significant effort to adopt a
dairy data system that is world’s best practice, which
enables dairy farmers to make informed and timely
management decisions on their farms,”
Dr Shaffer, NHIA Working Group Chairman
There is an overwhelming consensus between
dairy industry stakeholders that the way dairy
data is currently exchanged limits potential
productivity gains from herd improvement for the
Australian dairy industry.
The profitability and international
competitiveness of the Australian dairy industry
depends on a continual improvement in dairy
herd data. The industry has made a substantial
investment to build a body of high-quality
scientific knowledge with the expectation
that this will underpin decisions regarding the
selection of desirable traits.
Repositioning dairy data exchange into a
pre-competitive setting is essential to support
research, improve genetic evaluation and
underpin information product innovation across
the industry to realise productivity gains through
better on-farm decision making. This report has
found that Australia could achieve gains of
$10-$50 million during the next 10 years if
farm-level data management was improved.
Key Issues
Five main drivers that are both supporting and,
in some cases, inhibiting improvements in dairy
data collection, transfer and access are identified
in the report. These are: better decision-making
information; sustaining genetic evaluation data
flows; rationalisation; innovation and technology;
and regulatory and market compliance.
The report identifies three value chains for dairy
data: herd recording; breeding, fertility and
herd management; and food and safety/quality
and environment, for which challenges and
opportunities are identified. Many of the existing
gaps and issues identified are concerned mainly
with the quality and quantity of data, particularly
relating to collection and integration.
The main challenges identified include:
• lack of industry leadership to address data issues
and realise productivity gains;
• multiple animal ID processes and numbers with
calls for implementing a unique recognised
animal ID system;
• gaps in data, value-adding constrained;
• fragmented systems, difficulties in data transfer
and sharing;
• less than optimal data collection processes and
adoption of new technologies;
• reduced data flow through the data value chains;
• improvements in reliability of genetic evaluation;
• data not valued by all stakeholders; and
• incentives for data collection not aligned with
benefits of data use.
These challenges present opportunities to the
industry for improvement in dairy data collection,
transfer and access. These opportunities can be
pursued and challenges addressed by a mixture
of education; regulation push and market pull to
establish the elements of a desirable system as
outlined by stakeholders.
4 Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Report 2010