Two dairy industry bodies are back talking again, after locking horns over plans for a new integrated cattle breeding data-base.
Dairy NZ and LIC, a livestock improvement co-operative, have been discussing how to bring about the recommendations of a review of what's described as the births, deaths, marriages and health records of New Zealand's dairy herds.
The recommendations include shifting control of core herd-testing data-base from LIC to Dairy NZ.
There's no argument over that. But DairyNZ also wants access to large amounts of other breeding information that LIC holds, which it regards as its intellectual property.
Last month negotiations over that reached a deadlock, and DairyNZ indicated it might seek Government intervention to regulate the hand-over.
However, the two organisations resumed talks at a meeting this week, a move that has been welcomed by the LIC's shareholders council, which represents about 11,000 dairy farmers and sharemilkers.
DairyNZ chair John Luxton says the meeting was constructive.
He says resolving the future of the data-base and increasing its scope for purposes such as genetic gain and animal health monitoring is important.
