Surge in use of Beef + Lamb NZ’s nProve genetic tool

The Beef + Lamb NZ nProve beef genetics programme is proving popular around parts of the country, with many farmers dialling into it.

Beef + Lamb NZ has experienced strong farmer interest in its newly launched nProve Beef genetics tool.

Early feedback and usage has confirmed its value in helping farmers make better breeding decisions and drive genetic improvement in New Zealand’s beef herd, B+L NZ said in a release.

From March to June 2025, sessions on the nProve platform “surged” by 76% compared to the same period last year – up from 5069 to 8902.

“This growth is almost entirely due to the launch of nProve Beef, which attracted 3800 sessions, making up 41% of total traffic,” B+L NZ general manager farming excellence Dan Brier said.

Beef + Lamb NZ general manager farming excellence Dan Brier.

The nProve Beef tool is “a key output” of the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme, which aims to enable the uptake of improved genetics across the beef industry by providing farmers with practical tools tailored to New Zealand farming systems.

“The response to it has exceeded expectations,” Brier said.

“It confirms that there’s strong demand among farmers for tools that take the guesswork out of bull selection and help build more productive, profitable and resilient beef herds.

“Farmers are not just clicking in; they’re staying on the site.

“The average session duration exceeds six minutes, highlighting real engagement with the tool,” he said.

“While use of the original nProve Sheep tool has remained steady, the rapid adoption of nProve Beef demonstrates the strong appetite among commercial beef farmers and bull breeders.”

The top five regions for usage of the tool have been greater Auckland, Canterbury, greater Wellington, Manawatū-Whanganui and Otago.

“That shows the tool’s reach across a range of farming environments,” Brier said.

The INZB Programme, a seven-year partnership between B+L NZ and the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, focuses on building a sustainable future for New Zealand’s beef sector.

It invests in new genetic evaluation tools, data systems and extension to increase the rate of genetic gain and help farmers select animals that perform well in New Zealand conditions.

“Genetics are a key lever for long-term change,” Brier said.

“The annual decision of which sires to buy impacts the production and profit of a farm for many years.

“By making powerful tools like nProve accessible to farmers, we’re helping to accelerate that change and build a more productive, efficient and environmentally sustainable beef industry.”