RDAR invests in Canadian Beef Industry Network genetics data platform

Purely Purebred, news from the December 2021 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

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Published: December 17, 2021

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(RDAR) has invested $640,000 in a collaborative research project with the Canadian Beef Improvement Network (CBIN) to develop a unified, standardized and producer-accessible beef cattle genetics data platform. 

Through this platform, CBIN will provide commercial cattle producers and the entire beef production chain access to critical data that will help better inform genetic decisions and improve environmental and economic sustainability. 

To date, eight Canadian beef cattle breed associations have committed to participate in the development of CBIN under the leadership of the Canadian Beef Breeds Council. This data-driven platform will benefit Canadian cattle producers directly. CBIN will give producers access to on-farm, on-demand genetic information to improve herd quality and inform marketing and genetic selection decisions. 

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Today, genetic information is available to help producers make essential breeding decisions on fertility, growth, feed efficiency, disposition, calving ease and carcass measures, to name a few. However, the beef industry underuses genetic data, and significant opportunities for producers to optimize their herd genetics are missed. By using the CBIN platform to inform genetics decisions, producers will realize substantial benefits by capturing environmental efficiencies, improving animal and herd health and management and validating product quality. 

RDAR’s funding contributions — of which $576,000 comes from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) — are valued at $640,000 over 18 months. 

To learn more about RDAR research projects, please visit rdar.ca/research.

About the author

Mike Millar

Mike Millar

National account manager

As National account manager for Canadian Cattlemen, I work with all major accounts including equipment manufacturers, ad agency's and national breed associations. When I'm not busy working and promoting Canadian Cattlemen magazine, my family and I are running a purebred herd of Simmental cattle at Grandora, Sask.

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