The milestone is 100 years of herd testing – the collection of milk samples from dairy cows to give insight to the animal’s productive ability.
The first formal herd testing began in Dalefield in the Wairarapa in 1909 with 815 cows and grew over the years – even during the Great Depression when farmers’ need to identify profitable cows was even more important.
Herd testing was to become the catalyst for the world-breaking technologies and science that the New Zealand dairy industry has won renown for, today boasting some of the highest rates of genetic gain and voluntary participation in herd improvement in the world.
Livestock Improvement is able to trace its roots back to that small group of farmers in Wairarapa, its archive of memorabilia and history enabling it to pay tribute, on behalf of the dairy industry, to what has been achieved in the first 100 years of herd testing in New Zealand.
The result is a book, ‘The Centenary of Herd Testing, a farming partnership’ which will be launched by the Prime Minister, Hon John Key, at the LIC site at National Fieldays at 2 pm on Wednesday 10 June 2009.
The book’s author (and LIC Communications Manager) Clare Bayly says that centenary celebrations are moderate in keeping with the financial pressures facing the dairy industry.
“We were faced with the need to recognise this significant milestone in an appropriate but cost-effective way, and we believe we’ve got the balance right.
“The Prime Minister will officiate at an official launch at Fieldays, cut the Centenary cake and launch the book which will be mailed to all LIC shareholders and the 200+ ex herd testers who contacted us, and will be available to other groups and individuals attending the launch or simply interested in gaining insights to this aspect of the past.”
Clare Bayly said the book presents the history of herd improvement by era, with an overview of the significant achievements, but the major focus is on the people capturing the memories of the people who farmed and herd tested at the time.
“We put out a call, last year, for past herd testers and farmers to contact us with their memories of herd testing and were over-awed to get calls from more than 200 people.
“As much as we would have liked to interview them all, and feature them in the boo, it simply wasn’t possible – so then came the difficult task of ‘deciding’ who we would interview and we made that fairer by selecting 39 people and stories focused on each era and most regions of New Zealand.”
LIC is extending an open invitation to all farmers, ex herd testers and those interested in the centenary to attend the official launch at 2 pm on Wednesday 10 June at the LIC Fieldays (Exhibition building, corner Bank and D Street).
Article supplied by Livestock Improvement Corporation - www.lic.co.nz
Advertisment