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‘They're basically just really good, ideal dairy cows, who look after themselves, have no problems and produce plenty of milk.’ This is how dairy farmer Jan Priems describes his Peeldijker Liesjes. Accounting for some 80% of the herd, this cow family is certainly the most important name at the dairy farm in De Mortel, where 130 cows tally up a rolling annual average of 11,850 kg of milk with 4.45% fat and 3.54% protein.

Doubling genetic progress, halving the number of bulls used for breeding and a huge upscaling. The idea of genomic selection, which came to fruition 20 years ago in the brain of a brilliant scientist, has revolutionised breeding.

The index run of April 2021 features bulls that excel in health and efficiency. CRV’s Fleckvieh portfolio has been strengthened and broadened with the addition of bulls that guarantee high production and good health. Robust, highly productive cows that significantly contribute to lower costs, higher yields and fewer problems for every dairy farmer.

Dutch high-tech company Nedap and Dutch/Flemish herd improvement organisation CRV have intensified their collaboration by concluding a new cooperative agreement. This agreement builds on the existing successful collaboration between both companies over the past ten years. The agreement includes global sales of Ovalert, a system that uses sensor technology to support farmers in herd management. Thousands of farmers in countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the UK, Italy, China and the United States already use this system to their complete satisfaction. In addition, Nedap and CRV will exchange data to facilitate further product development.

The NVI is the total merit index that reflects the breeding goals of Dutch and Flemish dairy farmers. But there are also farmers who prefer to select bulls based on one of the total American indexes TPI or NM$. Specialist Jaap Brinkman explains the differences between the American and Dutch breeding values.

Inbreeding is a threat to the vitality of a cow population but is always waiting in the wings in a breeding programme. CRV closely monitors the development of the rate of inbreeding in various breeds. Vigilance is vital, but so far, any negative effects have been limited.