The Covid-19 pandemic has brought food security under the microscope and has placed increasing financial pressure on the dairy sector.

Reports indicate that the number of dairy farms in South Africa dropped by 65% between January 2009 and August 2019. However, milk production increased by 31% between 2009 and 2018 and milk production for every producer rose by 273%.

Genomic testing aims to assist dairy farmers in identifying specific traits in dairy cattle to predict which animals are more resilient to certain costly diseases as well as those with higher potential for traits such as milk production, fertility and productive life.

Global animal health company, Zoetis, has launched Clarifide Plus, a genomic test used to predict key cow and calf wellness traits in South African dairy cattle.  The aim of the test is to help dairy farmers build a healthier herd by testing heifers as early as possible in their lifetime, in order to help avoid costs incurred by raising heifers that leave the herd prematurely and help farmers to improve breeding strategies and selection decisions.

Clarifide Plus allows producers to rank animals with the Dairy Wellness Profit Index (DWP$) which is based on traits that affect health, performance and the lifetime profit of cows and calves. DWP$ describes more genetic variation in profitability allowing for faster progress towards greater profitability.

Zoetis teamed up with an agricultural banking and consulting institution to identify dairy operating measures that correlate with the financial health of contemporary dairy farms. From this, six key financial drivers of Net Farm Income were identified - net herd replacement costs, pregnancy rates, heifer survival, energy corrected milk, somatic cell count and death loss in cows. 

The company’s genomic test aims to enhance the ability to improve the outcomes of these financial drivers by improving the ability to genetically select key performance and wellness-related traits.

Zoetis explains that profitability can be enhanced when a dairy has the advantage of mature cows that are productive and healthy for multiple lactations. To reach their full potential and longevity, animals need to remain healthy from birth until calving and then cows must stay healthy and be reproductively sound, in addition to producing milk.

The company further states that utilising genomic testing like Clarifide Plus also assists farmers and veterinarians involved in technologies such as embryo transfer to make decisions regarding selecting females as recipients or donors and provides indirect guidance on sire selection.