Genetics Australia Current Chairman since 2016 Trevor Henry, Tinamba Vic, Peter Stewart, Chairman 1993 -1997, Stratford, Vic, John Harlock, Chairman 1998-2006, Warrnambool, Vic, Colin Gardner Chairman 2007-2010, Longwarry North, Vic and Ross Gordon, Chairman 2011 – 2015, Cohuna, Vic.
Industry representatives have gathered to celebrate Genetics Australia’s contribution to genetic improvement in Australian herds over the past 60 years.
More than 100 industry leaders, shareholders, breeders, farmers and international guests attended a celebration dinner on April 18, with a further 100 people attending an open day at Genetics Australia’s headquarters in Bacchus Marsh the following day.
Australia’s leading dairy breeding organisation started in 1958 as Victorian Artificial Breeders.
Current Chairman Trevor Henry, was joined at the dinner by Peter Stewart, Chairman 1993 -1997, John Harlock, Chairman 1998-2006, Colin Gardner Chairman 2007-2010, and Ross Gordon, Chairman 2011 – 2015, to cut a celebratory cake.
Mr Henry said the vision and foresight of Genetics Australia’s forefathers to create the organisation had been fantastic for Australian farmers.
“It was a time when this was new technology but our founders had faith in the technology and took a leap of courage,” Mr Henry said.
He added that Genetics Australia had continued to grow and innovate and be a vehicle for change and progress.
Dairy Australia Managing Director Ian Halliday said the cooperative had remained true to its mission and its owners – Australian farmers – for six decades.
“Genetics Australia has continually worked with industry and adopted science and acted in the global market to bring the products that it thought to be best for farmers,” Mr Halliday said.
“The entire breeding industry in Australia has relied on Genetics Australia in some shape or form – as a distributor of new products, as a source of specialised merchandise, as a key partner, as an entity that has driven elite performance in the whole market.”
Mr Halliday added that Genetics Australia had worked with elite breeders and breed societies to improve breeds and strive towards their definition of an “ideal cow”- one that is suited to Australian conditions and Australian dairy farming systems.
“The prize of getting genetic and herd improvement right is vital to the profitability of Australian dairy farmers.”
Auctioneer Brian Leslie recounted some of the impressive Genetics Australia bulls that have serviced the industry across the years.
“Genetics Australia has bought great genetics at a reasonable price to the industry,” Mr Leslie said. “They proved and continually searched for the best bulls and made them available for farmers. Their staff and their bulls have improved the profitability of all dairy farmers.”
