Issues and Options for Global Evaluations

Abstract

Although the occasional outbreak of a disease like FMD results in some restrictions, the international trade of beef cattle genetic material in form of semen, embryos and live cattle is increasing world wide and with it comes the exchange of information from the exporting country's genetic evaluation system. During the last 15 years the larger dairy breeding countries, with their huge market for semen, have developed across country evaluations for a number of breeds and nearly all economically important traits through an organisation called INTERBULL which operates out of Sweden. The beef industries don't want to stay behind and the question has been asked could beef cattle breeding benefit from global evaluations. As a consequence of this, discussions and research are under way to implement global evaluations for various breeds.