NZ beef sector joins Australian research

New Zealand farmers are to pay to join a seven-year project aimed at improving beef quality for domestic and international markets.

Meat and Wool NZ is investing $2 million over seven years in the A$120 million ($129 million) Australian co-operative research centre for beef genetics technologies from July.

The investment was announced jointly with the Australian-based Beef CRC at Meat and Wool NZ's Growing the Future conference in Christchurch last week.

It will be the first time New Zealand has joined the Beef CRC, which has been researching for 13 years ways to better understand the factors influencing beef quality.

Meat and Wool NZ chief executive Mark Jeffries said the CRC gave New Zealand access to the best research talent in Australia, Korea, New Zealand, and also some US scientists.

"It gives us the opportunity to join a world-leading research programme and access to all the results that it delivers for New Zealand farmers. It is a research investment that we could not fund alone."

The study aims to produce more cattle that meet market specifications, enhance farmer profits and reduce costs by developing more productive and efficient cattle, he said.

Beef CRC chief executive Professor Bernie Bindon said the new CRC focused on researching genes that control beef production traits.

The project would identify gene markers which could test for beef quality, feed efficiency, disease resistance and reproduction performance, he said.

The centre's recognition of the need to integrate genetics, nutrition and meat science had led to the establishment of the world's largest progeny test for meat quality traits.

The CRC also initiated research in molecular biology, designed to identify genes for carcass and meat quality attributes.

Mr Jeffries said the beef CRC was a good opportunity for farmers to benefit from top research.

- NZPA