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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 index run of April 2021 confirms that consistent breeding for efficient and healthy cows pays dividends. CRV's portfolio has been strengthened and broadened with the addition of bulls that guarantee robust, highly productive and efficient daughters with high components, without any problems.

Apina Nadja has fulfilled her potential. One of the most influential cows in CRV’s breeding programme has high breeding values for health, fertility and longevity. And she also passes these traits on to her countless offspring. Apina Nadja has never caused any problems for owners Wim and Theo Bleser. She has now put the crown on her illustrious career by realising lifetime production of 100,000kg of milk.

Statistics addicts can feast their eyes on these tables: they present the actual production figures of the most important and most popular bulls. A lower limit of at least 75 milk records per lactation applies.

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.