source: Farm and Food Report
About 500 delegates of the Holstein Association of Canada are expected to gather in Saskatoon from April 20 to 24 for the Association’s National Convention.
The organization is made up of over 12,000 members from across Canada for whom Holsteins are a way of life, according to Holstein Canada National Convention Liaison Nancy Watts.
“This is our big event. When you think that the Association goes back to 1884, celebrating our heritage is always front and centre. Our purpose is to improve the Holstein breed; prepare, maintain and make available a genealogical record of the breed; and promote the best interests of breeders and owners of Holstein cattle in Canada.”
The Master Breeder Award is the highest honour conferred by the association to its members. Only .015 per cent of members earn this prestigious distinction each year. Twenty-one breeder members will receive the award on the evening of April 22.
“The award is based on a history of breeding excellence. The methodology involves analysis of animal records for both production and conformation. Conformation data is collected by association classifiers who travel to the farms and conduct an objective and subjective analysis of traits in comparison to the ideal cow,” says Watts.
One of the most pressing issues that will be on members’ minds at this year’s meeting will be the Canada-U.S. border, which remains closed to replacement stock and causes much grief to breeders, according to Watts.
“It is a major concern for our members because most Holstein breeders sell their genetics in the form of live animals. Even when the border opens up, that initiative will be directed at animals that are going to slaughter. Animals intended for breeding purposes won’t qualify.”
Watts points out that 80 per cent of live Holstein genetics exports were to the United States before the border closed. Her organization is hoping the plight of Holstein breeders gets the ear of policymakers everywhere, as she believes dairy cattle producers have done their share of work to ease safety concerns.
“In terms of cattle identification, the dairy industry has its own national program. We are now hoping that the traceability aspect will become more of a priority than it has so far at the federal government level,” she added.
Also to be discussed will be Holstein Canada’s efforts to respond to other dairy breeds’ request to provide classification services for all dairy breeds. While Holsteins account for about 93 per cent of Canada’s dairy population, there are six other breeds that make up the rest. They are: the Jersey, the Ayrshire, the Guernsey, the Brown Swiss, the Milking Short Horn and the Canadienne — a rare breed.
“Our association has the expertise and economies of scale to make this valuable service accessible to producers who focus on these breeds. Our staff members will go to individual farms and evaluate the cows for body conformation. The records will then be compared to the ideal true types for each breed. In many ways, the more activities we engage in, the better for the Holstein Canada organization as a whole. This particular initiative makes sense for everyone involved.”
For more information on the Holstein Canada National Convention, click here.
For more information, contact:
Nancy Watts
Holstein Canada
(519) 756-8300
http://www.holstein.ca
About 500 delegates of the Holstein Association of Canada are expected to gather in Saskatoon from April 20 to 24 for the Association’s National Convention.
The organization is made up of over 12,000 members from across Canada for whom Holsteins are a way of life, according to Holstein Canada National Convention Liaison Nancy Watts.
“This is our big event. When you think that the Association goes back to 1884, celebrating our heritage is always front and centre. Our purpose is to improve the Holstein breed; prepare, maintain and make available a genealogical record of the breed; and promote the best interests of breeders and owners of Holstein cattle in Canada.”
The Master Breeder Award is the highest honour conferred by the association to its members. Only .015 per cent of members earn this prestigious distinction each year. Twenty-one breeder members will receive the award on the evening of April 22.
“The award is based on a history of breeding excellence. The methodology involves analysis of animal records for both production and conformation. Conformation data is collected by association classifiers who travel to the farms and conduct an objective and subjective analysis of traits in comparison to the ideal cow,” says Watts.
One of the most pressing issues that will be on members’ minds at this year’s meeting will be the Canada-U.S. border, which remains closed to replacement stock and causes much grief to breeders, according to Watts.
“It is a major concern for our members because most Holstein breeders sell their genetics in the form of live animals. Even when the border opens up, that initiative will be directed at animals that are going to slaughter. Animals intended for breeding purposes won’t qualify.”
Watts points out that 80 per cent of live Holstein genetics exports were to the United States before the border closed. Her organization is hoping the plight of Holstein breeders gets the ear of policymakers everywhere, as she believes dairy cattle producers have done their share of work to ease safety concerns.
“In terms of cattle identification, the dairy industry has its own national program. We are now hoping that the traceability aspect will become more of a priority than it has so far at the federal government level,” she added.
Also to be discussed will be Holstein Canada’s efforts to respond to other dairy breeds’ request to provide classification services for all dairy breeds. While Holsteins account for about 93 per cent of Canada’s dairy population, there are six other breeds that make up the rest. They are: the Jersey, the Ayrshire, the Guernsey, the Brown Swiss, the Milking Short Horn and the Canadienne — a rare breed.
“Our association has the expertise and economies of scale to make this valuable service accessible to producers who focus on these breeds. Our staff members will go to individual farms and evaluate the cows for body conformation. The records will then be compared to the ideal true types for each breed. In many ways, the more activities we engage in, the better for the Holstein Canada organization as a whole. This particular initiative makes sense for everyone involved.”
For more information on the Holstein Canada National Convention, click here.
For more information, contact:
Nancy Watts
Holstein Canada
(519) 756-8300
http://www.holstein.ca
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