Chairman’s Summary and Concluding Remarks

Abstract

In this Seminar, we have systematically reviewed the evidence on the extent to which North American Holstein and Brown Swiss genes are being incorporated into the different European dairy cattle populations, and the effect that this is having on the beef potential of these populations. It is clear from the evidence presented that, as a result of trends already established, most European Friesian populations are likely to become considerably more than 50% North American in constitution. The studies reported suggest that Holstein crosses are from 5–10% less valuable for beef production than the existing Friesian strains, though carcass dissection studies indicate a smaller difference in value, while actual market prices for animals show even bigger discrimination.