The data highlights a major shift in breeding behaviour over the past decade. In 2016, fewer than half of New Zealand dairy herds used young sires. By 2025, that figure had climbed to 88%. At the same time, the average age of dairy sires fell from 5.9 years in 2017 to 4.3 years in 2025, reflecting growing farmer confidence in genomic technologies and data-driven breeding decisions.

CRV managing director James Smallwood said the sector is finally achieving the level of herd genetic improvement it has pursued for years. The stronger gains are being driven not only by wider use of genomic bulls, but also by farmers becoming more selective about which cows produce the next generation. Increasingly, farmers are avoiding breeding replacements from the lowest-performing 10-20% of cows, rapidly lifting the genetic quality of their herds.

The improvement is evident in New Zealand’s Breeding Worth index. NZ Animal Evaluation figures show BW values rising from -0.5 in 2019 to +141 in 2025, one of the fastest increases recorded in recent decades. Farmers are also making greater use of sexed semen, improved heat detection systems and wearable technology to identify elite cows and optimise breeding strategies.