New Zealand Animal Evaluation Limited (NZAEL) is the industry good organisation for genetics and animal evaluation. As a wholly owned subsidiary of DairyNZ, NZAEL operates independently to ensure that farmers' interests are represented, striving for world-leading genetic gain that make our national herd resilient, profitable, and globally competitive.
The NZAEL team works closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to ensure the delivery of meaningful information to breed cows that are fit-for-purpose. Through our advancements in Animal Evaluation (AE), we enhance data capture, record keeping and, ultimately, the rate of genetic gain in the dairy herd. This knowledge empowers farmers and industry stakeholders to make informed breeding decisions that elevate herd genetics and farm profitability.
NZAEL is the owner and custodian of the National Breeding Objective, which is to breed dairy cows that efficiently convert feed into profit. This determines which traits and information are crucial for farmers to enable improvements in genetic gain. Through it, new traits and data changes are established and reflected in the Breeding Worth index.
DIGAD is the sole industry database containing pedigree and performance data on all recorded dairy animals in New Zealand. This data is used to operate Animal Evaluation (AE) runs and deliver individual BW for animals which is published in the Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list.
NZAEL delivers Animal Evaluation data for an independent Breeding Worth index which ranks all cows and bulls on their ability to breed profitable and efficient replacements. Each month, NZAEL updates BW using the latest Animal Evaluation data including mating and calving records, and herd test data. In collaboration with industry stakeholders, NZAEL develops and delivers improvements to BW as part of our commitment to continuous improvement.
Every month, NZAEL releases an updated Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list, ranking the value of top-performing daughter-proven bulls. This information provides confidence in your breeding decisions when improving your herd.