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£PLI is farmers’ favoured genetic index
Monday, 26 June 2023
The latest Defra 2023 Farm Practices Survey shows increasing use of our Profitable Lifetime Index when choosing bulls for breeding.
Over 93% of dairy farms are selecting bulls with a high Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) according to Defra’s latest Farm Practices Survey.
And a substantial 76% of those surveyed will now ‘always’ or 'most of the time’, only use bulls with a high £PLI.
AHDB data confirms the growing importance of the index, and shows that almost a third of insemination in the first four months of 2023 were by bulls over £700 PLI. This indicates that the average PLI of mating sires continues to go up each year as farmers are seeking out the best genetics.
Marco Winters, AHDB Head of Animal Genetics said:
“At a time when farmers are facing pressure from falling prices and high input costs, it’s reassuring to know that every point increase in £PLI in their cows will translate to additional margin. It also reflects farmers’ growing confidence in a genetic index that’s specifically designed for dairy cows raised in the UK.”
What is £PLI?
£PLI is designed for UK market conditions. It indicates the additional profit that a daughter of a high £PLI bull is expected to earn over her lifetime, compared with a daughter sired by an average bull that has a £PLI of zero.
More information
Learn more about how £PLI can help your farm