Council
on Dairy Cattle Breeding is working for the future
Columbus,
Ohio (September 26, 2011)
– U.S.
dairy producers have benefited from the United States being the gold standard in
global genetic progress. This position is the result of research efforts by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Research Service (ARS), coupled
with a massive database developed through the selfless cooperation from members
of the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB). CDCB members include National
Dairy Herd Information Association, National Association of Animal Breeders and
Purebred Dairy Cattle Association. CDCB has been working the past 16 months to
prepare the U.S. dairy industry genetics and management data flow to effectively
and efficiently operate in the future. It is this type of cooperation on behalf
of U.S. dairy producers that CDCB formed a Dairy Data Working Group (DDWG). This
group included 10 representatives from five different dairy segments (breed
associations, artificial insemination, dairy records providers, dairy records
processing centers and university research) who worked to evaluate the data
demands of genomics and their effect on data flow for the CDCB member cooperator
database. New technologies, traits of economic importance, sustainability,
genomics and the need to continue to recalibrate the genetic calculations are
driving this review.
The
DDWG prepared a discussion paper in October 2010 and a report in April 2011 to
present opportunities to adopt and adapt a system to serve the industry. This
included drafting a Cooperative Agreement between
CDCB and ARS-USDA to facilitate access to the CDCB member database for
research purposes. Continuing development of world-leading software, research
for genetic evaluations and benchmarks of economically important genetic and
management traits in dairy cattle are the key points of the agreement.
In
May 2011, a CDCB Business Plan Working Group (BPWG) was appointed to develop a
business plan for industry review and adoption. The group is comprised of six
representatives from the industry, which include: Neal Smith, executive secretary
and CEO of American Jersey Cattle Association; John Meyer, CEO of
Holstein Association USA Inc.; Doug Wilson, CEO of Genex and Cooperative
Resources International; Dave Thorbahn, president and
CEO of Select Sires; Jay Mattison, CEO and administrator of National
Dairy Herd Information Association; and Jamie Zimmerman, CEO of Dairy One
Cooperative Inc. Ole Meland, chair of CDCB, is
serving as the group’s facilitator.
The
CDCB BPWG has held conference calls and face-to-face meetings since Aug. 1,
2011. The purpose of this group is to evaluate DDWG options and refine an
operational and business plan to move the process forward. This process will be
done over the next eight months with final recommendations delivered in April
2012. BPWG is using task forces and seeking
input from stakeholders to prepare options for review and acceptance by CDCB
members and cooperators.
A
goal of preparing for the future to ensure the United States’ world-class,
gold standard genetic and management systems for dairy cattle is driving the
process. U.S. dairy producers and dairy organizations are looking to have the
system that has served the United States and world for the last 75 years move
into the future. CDCB members agree status quo is not an option or in the
best interests of the dairy producer stakeholders and organizations.
For
more information, please contact Ole Meland at omeland@accelgen.com
or Jay Mattison, CDCB vice chair, at jmattison@dhia.org.