Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) is a farmer-owned co-operative and world leader in pasture-based dairy genetics and agri-tech that have helped to improve New Zealand dairy herds for over 100 years.
With origins dating back to 1909, LIC has a long history of delivering leading innovations and is a key link in the DNA of New Zealand’s dairy sector – in fact LIC’s bulls are responsible for breeding more than 75% of all dairy cows grazing on New Zealand dairy farms today.
Like any successful company, LIC owes much of its solid foundations to a number of individuals who were integral in moulding the co-op into what it is today.
For example, the late Dr. Patrick Shannon, a world-leading bovine geneticist and reproductive biologist who pioneered the long-lasting liquid semen diluter in 1988. This innovation enabled farmers to produce more high-quality cows, more rapidly, ultimately increasing production on farm. The value Dr. Pat added to dairying earned him the title ‘the-six-billion-dollar-man’ – a nod to the contribution he made to the New Zealand dairy sector.
Pat Shannon – Bovine Geneticist and Reproductive Biologist
More recently, Richard Spelman, LIC Chief Scientist, and Bevin Harris, LIC Science Lead, spearheaded the use of DNA (genomics) for young dairy animal selection. Two decades later, this method is identified by the Industry Working Group as key to maintaining New Zealand farmers’ international competitiveness.
Richard Spelman – LIC Chief Scientist
Today, LIC’s continued focus on research and innovation is helping Kiwi dairy farmers retain their position as some of the most efficient milk producers in the world.
Corrigan Sowman, dairy farmer, breeder, and LIC Chair, states: “Our farmer shareholders are the heart of our co-operative. New Zealand dairy farmers have a legacy of generations, incrementally enhancing the productivity and sustainability of both their land and livestock. LIC has been a key partner in enabling them to do this. We hold the same values of continuous improvement. Our duty has been to serve these generations of farmers.”
Corrigan Sowman – LIC Board Chair
LIC is one of the largest investors in research and development for the New Zealand primary sector, investing $21.2m into R&D last year. These investments contribute to some exciting initiatives including a world-leading methane research programme focused on investigating the potential to breed low methane-emitting cows in the future, as well as a heat tolerance research programme which involves breeding high genetic merit dairy cows with improved heat tolerance.
