Livestock Improvement Corporation

LIC is a New Zealand agritech and herd improvement co-operative that supports its 10,000 livestock shareholder farmers to breed and select cows that more efficiently convert the food they eat into milk. Of equal focus is maximising the productive life of herds through the delivery of superior genetics and technology, and minimising the impact cows have on our environment.

With origins dating back to 1909, LIC has a long history of delivering world-leading innovation to the dairy industry however it’s even more relevant today to farmers given the rapid change the sector is undergoing.

To best support farmers, LIC invests 5.6% of its revenue into R&D compared to the primary industry average of around 1%. In 2019 LIC delivered 4.5 million straws of bull semen to farmers across New Zealand and analysed more than 11 million milk samples. Through LIC’s work, around 80% of cows across the country were sired by a LIC bull creating some of the highest rates of genetic gain in the world for dairy herds.

As a co-op, LIC understands the dual role it must play in driving positive change through collective action on climate change in New Zealand and supporting its farmer shareholders on the journey. It is committed to driving sustainability improvements and reducing emissions on-farm with projects in both these spheres well underway. Farm Environment Plans are in place for LIC Innovation Farm with 2025 targets for water use, nutrient run-off and effluent as well as increasing the recycling of materials on farm.