NZ Beef Shorthorn leading the way
New Zealand Beef Shorthorn has reached a pivotal milestone, recording positive results at the completion of the first cycle of their Beef Recording Programme. Words Russell Profit.
Annually, from 2023, 350 cows have been mated at Bevan and Mary Proffit’s Whanganui farm using Shorthorn, Angus and Hereford sires as part of a programme to benchmark Shorthorn sires under commercial hill country conditions and provide real-world data.
The raw data collected focuses on growth, carcase and hip height, alongside the kill data from Silver Fern Farms EQ Programme. The results from the processing of 125 rising-two-year (R2) Shorthorn-Angus-Hereford cross steers confirms that Shorthorn are standing alongside the country’s leading beef genetics. The NZ Shorthorn benchmarking programme is also part of the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Informing NZ Beef project, which showcases that the carcase traits and growth rates, particularly for marbling and yield, illustrate the Shorthorns bulls are performing as their EBVs suggested they would.
The reliability of the EBVs is important so that farmers feel confident in their purchasing decisions. The cross breeding benefits will add dollars to the bottom line of most businesses.
An additional 250 steers are scheduled for carcase scanning and analysis over the next two years with all heifers retained in the breeding programme.
By combining historic marbling excellence with modern, data-driven growth metrics, the Shorthorn is carving out a vital role in the future of the New Zealand beef industry.
