WORLD JERSEY CATTLE BUREAU

2006 VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT FOR ASIA-OCEANA

 by Richard Gibson (New Zealand)

Time has gone quickly since last year’s World Conference in Canada. It was certainly a great gathering of  the Jersey fraternity, and gave those involved an opportunity to gain an overview of Jerseys in Canada and the dairy industry there.

One of the great things about the World Jersey Cattle Bureau is that it brings together different perspectives from different parts of the world and, like many things these days, Jersey breeding is very global. 

The Jersey cow continues to show her superiority as an efficient converter of feed to milk solids. Two things that are vital to maintain and increase her numbers in the world are genetic progress in production and health traits, and continued efforts in Jersey milk equity payments. The main dairying countries have made good progress in this field, especially the exporting countries, but continual pressure needs to be brought to bear, especially in countries with liquid milk markets.

Australia and New Zealand are just finishing their main season. After the bad droughts of 2 or 3 years ago, Australia has had a good season, and with deregulation behind them, milk production is growing. Meanwhile, New Zealand has had a good to above-average season, and with good commodity prices world-wide dairy farmers here are reasonably happy.

There is still very good demand for Jersey cattle, with prices being equal to those for Holstien-Freisians. There have also been quite a few exports to China, Mexico and Madagascar. Both breed societies in New Zealand and Australia are busy with their activities and promoting the Jersey breed. Of course the best promotion is to get people to milk the Jersey cow who haven’t done so before; that is when they realise the advantages.

Jersey New Zealand was represented at the recent WJCB Classification Workshop in South Africa by Tim Sneddon. Events like these need to be encouraged by the Bureau as they not only can help to promote Jerseys in new countries, but are also useful to the major Jersey countries.

In addition, with leading edge technologies available to the farmers in the major Jersey countries, the World Jersey Cattle Bureau can help to keep information about these in front of their Officers and members.  

Health traits continue to be a major challenge for dairy cattle populations, especially those involving fertility and somatic cell counts.

I look forward to our annual meeting in Switzerland hoping for a good discussion about where the Bureau is heading, as well as seeing the breed in Switzerland, where it has been for only a relatively short time.

Richard Gibson
Vice President for Asia-Oceana, World Jersey Cattle Bureau                                                                   May 2006