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Top Marks For SAC Service To Livestock Breeders (Archived Content)

SAC News Release Ref. No: 09N64
Published: 24 Sep 2009

An SAC service available to the breeders and buyers of superior breeding stock has been awarded a top quality mark of approval.

In what is a UK first, Edinburgh Genetic Evaluation Services or EGENES has been awarded the ICAR Quality Seal for Genetic Evaluations. It puts EGENES at the forefront of genetic evaluation services and is testimony to the state-of-the-art procedures employed.

EGENES is a unit run by SAC on behalf of a partnership including University of Edinburgh and Roslin Institute.  It provides a kind of “Which” service for dairy, beef and sheep farmers, allowing them to make day-to-day decisions on breeding stock.  By bringing together all the various production data available on each animal and processing it in a particular way, it presents both the breeders and their customers with an accurate assessment on which to judge and select animals.  It is the only service of its kind in the UK.

The ICAR Quality Seal is awarded by the International Committee on Animal Recording to those genetic evaluation units that, through audit, demonstrate best practice in arriving at their evaluations. Their approval provides evidence to customers and users of genetic evaluations that EGENES employs the best appropriate methods and management practices.

Dr. Mike Coffey, who leads the EGENES team for SAC, is delighted.

"This is an excellent milestone for UK national evaluations, demonstrating that we do work in the UK that is world class and of which we can be very proud. It puts the UK in an excellent position to exploit new emerging technologies currently being developed such as genomic selection."

According to Professor Geoff Simm, who heads SAC’s Sustainable Livestock Systems Unit, 

"EGENES has provided customers with crucial genetic tools that help farmers remain profitable and puts them in a position to respond to future market signals. This award is a reflection of the commitment of staff in EGENES to producing a world class product."

The EGENES service is proving valuable for breeders and SAC in other ways. It is an ideal conduit for delivering the latest research into animal breeding and selection indexes to those needing them.

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News Release Contacts

SAC Contact

Dr Mike Coffey
Team Leader, Animal Breeding & Genetics
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush,
Midlothian
EH25 9RG
TelWork 0131 5353241/6519335
Fax 0131 535 3121

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News Release Issued By

Mr Ken Rundle
Senior Communications Officer
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, King's Buildings, West Mains Road,
Edinburgh
EH9 3JG
TelWork 0131 535 4196

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