FUNDING for a £1.75 million selective breeding project to improve the sustainability and competitiveness of the UK beef industry has been won by Eblex.

It will carry out the four year project – which is forecast to increase farm profit by 39 per cent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 22 per cent – with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

The project will initially agree industry-wide protocols for measuring feed efficiency and taking and storing tissue samples for future analysis. Facilities will be installed on selected commercial farms to measure feed efficiency with around 1,800 cattle providing the data.

The results will be used to develop Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) for traits relating to feed efficiency ,and produce a set of possible business models for the continued recording of feed efficiency .

Kim Matthews, Eblex head of research and development who will lead the project, said: "We are very excited. Feed is one of the main costs in any beef enterprise. Therefore this research has huge potential for beef farmers in the UK.

"The Limousin breed will provide data at this stage to robustly demonstrate proof of principle. We will go on to collect data from other breeds – significant genetic variation exists within all breeds for the characteristics that relate to being feed efficient and the results will provide tools for all beef cattle breeders."

Defra will provide £1.5 million funding and £250,000 will be funded by Eblex, making it the most expensive project it has ever undertaken.

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said: “I want to forge a future for British farming, based on innovation, technology and the quality of our great British food.

“That is why we are helping fund this new research using biotechnology to identify what genes make the best beef cattle. This landmark project is expected to contribute to £150m a year in farm profits and is just one example of how food and farming is embracing the future to become a high-tech, powerhouse industry.”

Eileen Wall, SRUC reader in integrative animal sciences and project lead scientist, said: “The project is complementary to other activities in the beef industry and we’re excited to be working on this project as it supports innovation for longer-term profitability and sustainability of UK beef production.”