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Breeding for success
Semex National Key Accounts and Solutions Manager, Jo Holloway, set the scene by outlining the amazing contribution of genetic improvement to agricultural productivity over the past 50 years.
“Genetic improvement has trebled average corn yields since 1960, while wheat yields have increased by 50% over the past 30 years alone due to improved disease resistance and drought tolerance,” he says.
“Broiler chickens now reach market weights in just six weeks and consume 25% less feed compared to the 16 weeks it used to take in the 1950s.
“In the USA, milk production has almost doubled to about 10,000 litres per cow since 1980. It’s the same story in Australia, where production has increased 225% to 6400 litres.
“Globally, the total number of dairy cows has been steadily declining without any loss in overall production. That’s less cows that need to be fed and milked. Producing more from less is surely the way agriculture needs to head.
“There’s no doubting the role of improved nutrition and management, but it is estimated that genetics has accounted for 67% of the increase in milk production in Canada over the past 75 years.
“This revolution is not just happening in agriculture. In humans, DNA testing for early disease detection has helped to reduce the onset of heritable conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, by 30 to 40% through early intervention.”
The widespread adoption of sexed semen and more recently, genomic testing and IVF, is further boosting the rate of genetic improvement. Whereas the potential breeding value of livestock used to be predicted via the performance of progeny, genomic testing can now accurately predict the future production, health and fertility of young animals using DNA testing.
“Genomic testing is an amazingly accurate and powerful tool. Average milk solids production in Australia now stands at 540 kg, which is 6.7% higher than when genomics was introduced in 2016. The rate of improvement over the past five years is higher than the previous five years.”
In a recurring theme at this year’s seminar, Jo urged breeders to focus their genetic improvement program on lifetime profitability rather than annual production. “That means breeding cows that not only have genetic potential for high milk production – but have the necessary conformation to ensure they have a long, healthy, fertile and productive life,” he says.
“There is no point genomically testing your heifers if don’t use this information to make better decisions. Will I keep this heifer? Will I breed from her? As input costs increase, it is important to focus your efforts on the resources that are going to deliver the best return.”
Jo also outlined the potential for dairy beef as a valuable diversification in herds. “If the genetics and nutrition are there, dairy beef can perform as well as any beef breed in terms of meat quality,” he says.
“A recent study found one group of dairy beef cattle were above the Meat Standards Australia grade for grainfed cattle and 53% were in the top 10% of the MSA index. Carcase weight was 5.2 kg heavier and marbling was 85% above the MSA index for grainfed beef cattle.”
About the speaker:
Jo Holloway graduated with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree from Charles Sturt University, majoring in animal reproduction and livestock production, before returning to work on his family’s 500-cow dairy farm in south-west Victoria and later, a cattle station in central Australia. He joined global artificial breeding company, Semex, as an Area Manager in 2012. He is now heavily involved in the adoption of technology to assist dairy producers with their genetic improvement programs, genomic testing and developing dairy beef supply chains. A qualified associate judge with Holstein Australia, Jo along with his wife, Briget, and son, Alby, run a small farm in northern Victoria.
Published Sep 4, 2025 | Updated Feb 12, 2026