Explore how dairy breeds societies can innovate to stay relevant. Will they adapt to producer demands and tech advances, or will they risk becoming obsolete?
The Bullvine audience, with their insightful prompts, has played a crucial role in sparking the online dialogue about the enduring significance of dairy cattle breed societies as we approach 2035. Your feedback and engagement are instrumental in shaping the future of our animal improvement industry. Your perspectives and experiences will assist in guiding industry leaders as they address the challenges and opportunities ahead. Here are some insights to kick off the conversation.
Strategic Stewards of Dairy Heritage: Breed Societies at a Crossroads
Breed societies have played an essential role in the livestock industry, upholding cattle breeding standards and assisting progress. They have meticulously tracked animal lineage and performance to ensure breeds’ genetic quality and purity, serving as an industry foundation. Beyond record-keeping, these societies facilitate animal improvement and offer marketing services, empowering breeders to enhance the quality of their stock and broaden their market. They also acknowledge and reward exceptional animals and breeders, strengthening the breeding community. However, navigating modern farming challenges, including an evolving demand and tightened profits from registered stock, is formidable. The ability of breed societies to effectively execute their core functions and adapt to quickly evolving market and breeding needs will determine their future relevance and survival.
Rethinking Relevance in Dairy: Breed Societies at a Turning Point
The future landscape for dairy farming is compelling breed societies to reassess their future trajectories. When The Bullvine contacted North American Holstein Breed Societies, it discovered that Holstein Canada’s Senior Director of Innovation and Business Operations, Chris Bartels, was prepared to discuss their forward-looking plans. This underscores Holstein Canada’s awareness of the need for innovation and the immediate need for breed societies to adapt.
Holstein Canada, with its history of evolution and several new initiatives planned, is an example of how breed societies can adapt to new challenges while still focusing on improving dairy animals and serving members. The Bullvine, finding Holstein Canada’s proactive approach interesting, explored its innovative strategies and plans in more detail.
“Looking into future options for breed societies requires a balance between respecting their history and using new technology,” says Bartels. “At Holstein Canada, we are working to align our plans with industry needs to ensure we stay important in dairy farming.”
Pioneering Path: Holstein Canada’s Legacy of Innovation
Holstein Canada’s history includes past visionary leaders who shaped the dairy industry. The society adopted innovative ideas, ensuring they stayed essential and influential in the industry.
Here is an overview of its innovation steps during the 20th century:
- 1925: Started the Type Classification Program to document the shape and quality of conformation for bulls and bull dams. Type classification later expanded to include herd improvement and sire proving – services that dramatically assisted breeders in changing the physical shape of their animals.
- 1930s: Worked with the Holstein Journal to keep members updated and promote the breed – improving member involvement and society communication.
- 1940s: Expanded registration to include animals born from artificial insemination – a bold step at the time.
- Post-WWII: Initiated promoting animal trade – increasing income for members from breeding stock sales to foreign markets.
- 1948: Created true-to-type conformation models and pictures that set a worldwide standard. They were updated in 1973 and received wide global approval.
- 1960: Set minimum standards for bull dams to ensure breeding quality.
- 1972: Expanded animal identification services to include grade females sired by purebred sires, further expanding in 1981 to include multi-generation sire-identified grade females’ entry into the herdbook – increasing breed market share and the size of the population available for genetic evaluation.
- 1984: Introduced the first Breed Improvement Strategy with industry support from artificial insemination and milk recording organizations.
- 1980s: Launched InfoHolstein, computerized office records, and unrestricted access to animal information for members – enhancing benefits significantly.
In the 21st century, Holstein Canada kept innovating:
- 2002: Launched electronic animal registration, later adding mobile services.
- 2001: Started a Young Breeder Program to develop future industry leaders.
- 2005: Extended the Type Classification Program to all Canadian dairy breeds.
- 2010: Started genomic testing through Zoetis, adding genomic indexes, sourced from approved DNA testing companies, to society animal files.
- 2013: Extended registration service to five other Canadian dairy breeds.
- 2016: Collaborated with Dairy Farmers of Canada to provide on-farm animal care evaluations through ProAction.
Holstein Canada has stayed committed to innovation, consistently meeting its members’ changing needs, improving dairy cattle standards, and collaborating with other industry stakeholders.
Embracing the Future: Precision and Transformation in Dairy Farming
The world of dairy cattle farming is changing fast, driven by new technology, industry shifts, and societal needs. Looking ahead to 2050, precision in dairy farming is essential and promising. Everywhere you look, whether in farm magazines or on the Internet, you see hints of a future where improving cattle breeds is not just a key but a beacon of hope for the industry’s future.
This future holds many changes that impact the dairy cattle improvement industry:
- A rapidly expanding number of new on-farm software and systems that capture data 24/7 to help improve herds and animals covering data for all disciplines.
- By 2035, dairy farmers will have access to twice as many genetic indexes as they do today for new traits covering animal function, health, welfare, and efficiency.
- Increased competition among companies offering advanced herd improvement technologies – will require more data definition and industry standards.
- Advances in known gene action and gene insertion to create top animals for many new traits – proprietary rights and payments to purchase genetic material will be involved.
- A shift in breeding to focus on ‘productive – efficient – profitable – green friendly’ animals for both heifers and cows.’
- There will be a decrease in the number of milk cows needed to meet the demand for milk solids, with animals residing in larger and larger herds by 2035 – thereby fewer breed society members.
- Dairy farmers have strongly stated their positions – services they will use must positively impact their bottom lines and duplication of functions or services in farmer directed organizations must be eliminated.
‘As they say, change is the only constant’ – so, challenges must be regarded as opportunities.
Breed societies must adapt and embrace this wave of innovation and competition to stay relevant. To succeed in this new age, breed societies must not just reinvent but also redefine its role in the changing world of dairy farming. The future is here, and it is time to step up.
Holstein Canada’s Innovation Starting in 2025
Bartels shared exciting plans with The Bullvine about what Holstein Canada aims to do starting in 2025. These plans include working with other industry stakeholders and separately to modernize how Canadian dairy farmers are offered data capture and improvement services. This could involve developing new technologies, expanding existing services, or introducing innovative approaches to herd improvement.
- In collaboration with the Canadian Angus Association, with funding support provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, under the AgriScience Program, Holstein Canada will study ways to provide modern animal phenotyping services in the future by leveraging cameras and artificial intelligence. (Read more: Multi-year Research Initiative for the Development of Camera and Computer Vision Tools for Data Collection and Indexes for Enhanced Selection). This collaboration is essential because Holsteins make up over 90% of dairy cattle in Canada, and Angus makes up over 70% of beef cattle. As more dairy cows are used for beef, and consumers want to know more about where their food comes from. Such collaboration provides exciting opportunities for both dairy and beef industries to move forward.
- Holstein Canada will partner with breeding companies, Lactanet, and local groups to jointly plan and execute workshops, seminars, and on-farm demonstrations across Canada on the multiple aspects of animal and herd improvement techniques and services. On-farm success depends on adopting the latest information, practices, and technology.
- Holstein Canada’s Breed Advisory Committee has provided input and support for Lactanet’s project to implement a modernized LPI in April 2025. The enhancements will include six sub-indexes for each of milk solids production, longevity and type, health and welfare, reproduction, milk ability, and environmental impact. These enhancements are designed to assist breeders in choosing the best genetics when planning to change focus in their breeding program.
- Holstein Canada will be revising its Strategic Business Plan.
- Additionally, Holstein Canada will work to expand the use of genomic testing at the time of registration and offer a new weekly online service that identifies the breed-leading genomically indexed newly registered females.
Looking beyond 2025, Holstein Canada is exploring additional innovations. These include revisions to the Type Classification Program, forming partnerships with national and global industry stakeholders to provide services, improving society’s business operations, and finding new ways to handle registration and information sharing.
Holstein Canada’s users will heavily influence the success of these innovations in supporting Canada’s dairy animal and herd improvement needs.
The Bottom Line
Breeding the “complete and green cow” by 2050 has started. While 2050 seems far away, it is closer than it appears. Heifer calves born from early 2025 to mid-2028 will make up only about fifty to fifty-five percent of the national milking cow population by 2030. 2030 is only two generations of females post 2025. This shows that the decisions currently in process or discussion at breed societies will significantly impact the future for both dairy cattle breeding and the organizations that support animal and herd improvement.
The dairy cattle improvement industry is changing fast due to new technology and shifting priorities. Breed societies cannot be isolated or have a stand-alone approach. They must accept how the dairy industry and practices will change by 2030 and beyond. To stay relevant, breed societies must collaborate with, align with, and yes, even amalgamate with, other stakeholders and implement innovative ideas and services. If they do, breed societies will be updated, relevant, and present in the next decade. If they do not, they will be irrelevant.
Key Takeaways:
- Dairy breed societies play a crucial role in the livestock industry, upholding breeding standards and assisting progress.
- Modern farming challenges require breed societies to adapt effectively.
- Holstein Canada, a leading dairy breed society, has innovated with the Type Classification Program, animal identification services, Breed Improvement Strategy, and InfoHolstein.
- The dairy cattle farming industry is rapidly evolving due to new technology, industry shifts, and societal needs.
- Precision in dairy farming is essential for the future, with new on-farm software and systems capturing data 24/7.
- By 2035, dairy farmers will have access to twice as many genetic indexes for new traits, increasing competition among companies offering advanced herd improvement technologies.
- Holstein Canada plans to modernize data capture and improvement services by 2025.
Summary:
The Bullvine audience has highlighted the importance of dairy cattle breed societies in the livestock industry, as we approach 2035. Breed societies are crucial in upholding cattle breeding standards, facilitating animal improvement, and offering marketing services. By 2050, precision in dairy farming is essential, with improvements in cattle breeds being a beacon of hope for the industry’s future. By 2035, dairy farmers will have access to twice as many genetic indexes for new traits covering animal function, health, welfare, and efficiency. Increased competition among companies offering advanced herd improvement technologies will require more data definition and industry standards. Advances in known gene action and gene insertion will involve proprietary rights and payments to purchase genetic material. A shift in breeding to focus on ‘productive – efficient – profitable – green friendly’ animals for both heifers and cows will also be necessary.
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