Nearly 80% of stock bulls meet genomic target

Of the 29,123 herds and 641,000 cows in the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP), 79% of herds have a stock bull meeting the June 30, 2019 programme requirement of four or five-star genotype on either the terminal or replacement index.

The 2018 requirement that heifers/eligible suckler cows equivalent to 20% of the number of an applicant’s reference animals be four or five-star rated is already met in 61% of herds.

A similar programme requirement for females equivalent to 50% of reference animals, by October 31, 2020, is already met in 37% of herds.