U.S. milk output increased by more than 60 percent since 1980 and currently totals more than 200 billion pounds per year.
But those gains scratch the surface of what genetic improvements can add to future dairy output, according to Tim Rauen, genetics manager for GenoSource, a dairy operation with two farms in Iowa and one in Adams County that specializes in dairy genomics.
Rauen discussed dairy genetics with 33 dairy farmers and veterinarians from 7 countries during the Illinois Dairy Tour hosted by the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA).
“I think the future of ag is on the genetics side,” Rauen said during the tour on GenoSource’s dairy near Quincy. “The sky is the limit.”
GenoSource milks about 300 cows on the Quincy farm. But the main focus there revolves around embryo transfers, which can fetch anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.
The farm features two of the top five GTPI proven bulls and the top genomic bull. About 600 to 700 embryos are produced at the Adams County farm each month.
“Some of the most valuable (dairy) calves in the whole world come from this facility,” Rauen said.
About three-quarters of GenoSource’s embryo sales are to foreign buyers, which makes international tours a key to its success. GenoSource also sells semen around the world and live females in the U.S. and Canada.
The international dairy industry representatives, from the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Myanmar, Peru and South Korea, visited Illinois prior to the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin.
“We get a lot of value out of this week,” Rauen said. “This week sets the table for the rest of the year.”
GenoSource was formed in 2014. Other Dairy Tour stops included ADM Animal Nutrition in Quincy, Skylar Nutrition in Rushville, the University of Illinois dairy farm in Champaign-Urbana, Stone Ridge Dairy in Mansfield, GEA products in Naperville and the Chicago Board of Trade.
“We take advantage of being one state away from the World Dairy Expo,” said Bobby Dowson, IDOA international marketing representative. “This just works out great. They (international buyers) are looking for anything to improve their operations back home.”
IDOA conducts the Illinois Dairy Tour every other year. The tour has generated more than $12 million in sales since its inception in 1993, mostly in the form of cattle genetics, feed ingredients and equipment.
Link: http://farmweeknow.com/story-adams-county-dairy-provides-top-genetics-around-globe-0-165709
