December 31st will see the temporary discount on our administrative fee for genomic testing expired, bringing the fee back to $5. Intended as an incentive to increase the number of tests performed, over 18 months there was no related increase, and in fact there was a slight decrease in genomic tests along with a decrease in revenue for Jersey Canada. This admin fee covers Jersey Canada staff time reviewing and entering results from 150-200 tests/month, and more importantly addressing 20-25 parentage conflicts/month and the emails, phone calls and research needed to keep the herdbook neat and tidy. Understanding the importance of this data, your board is continuing to work with staff and industry partners on how we can increase genomic testing numbers in order to not only maintain the integrity of the herdbook, but advance the Jersey breed in Canada and increase profitability for all Jersey producers.
