New Zealand's dairy industry is investing $ 25.7 million in an innovative project to raise the best cows.

A seven-year program called “Sustainable Dairy Products: Innovative Breeding for a Sustainable Future” was launched at Fieldays, a non-profit organization supporting agricultural development in New Zealand.

The program involves investing in new disease control technologies and advances in genomic science to increase the productivity of cows and raise animals with improved health, well-being and environmental sustainability.

The program will be led by the Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) with support from the Department of Primary Industry (MPI) and DairyNZ. Over the course of the program, LIC invests $ 11.2 million, MPI invests $ 10.3 million, and DairyNZ invests $ 4.2 million.

LIC, the largest provider of artificial breeding services for New Zealand dairy farms, will use its existing genomic science and diagnostic capabilities to develop innovative breeding tools and tests that support more sustainable milk production.

Investments from DairyNZ will go towards the restructuring of the national dairy cattle assessment system to include genomic information to accelerate the growth of genetic benefits.

“In order for New Zealand to maintain its reputation as a leading global manufacturer of premium products, we need to further increase the value of our products,” said Steve Penno, investment program director at MPI.