BREEDPLAN
BREEDPLAN: Powering the Future of Australian Beef – A Legacy of Genetic Innovation
For generations, Australian beef producers have faced a critical challenge: consistently breeding the best cattle to drive long-term productivity, profitability and sustainability on their farms. Historically, selection decisions relied on visual assessment and limited performance data, making it difficult to identify animals truly genetically superior in traits like fertility, efficiency, and carcase quality – characteristics hidden beneath the surface. Without a national, science‑driven framework, progress was slow and inconsistent, limiting returns for producers and holding back the industry’s potential.
Then came a turning point.
At the University of New England, a team of researchers at the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) began building something that would change the trajectory of Australian beef forever. Since the early 1980s, supported by investment from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), AGBU has led the development of BREEDPLAN, Australia’s pioneering national genetic evaluation system. Armed with world‑leading expertise in genetics, statistics and, later, genomics, AGBU created the scientific engine that would redefine how beef producers understand and select for genetic merit.
BREEDPLAN wasn’t just a new tool, it was a new way of thinking. 
BREEDPLAN Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and economic selection indexes gave beef producers a clear, reliable window into the genetic potential of their animals. Instead of relying just on visual appearance, breeders could also compare EBVs for individual animals across herds and environments, selecting for traits that drive real productivity and profitability.
Over time, the system grew smarter and more powerful. New traits were added. Accuracy improved. Genomic data was woven into evaluations, dramatically accelerating genetic gain. Breakthroughs such as Single Step Genomic TBLUP enabled BREEDPLAN to process enormous volumes of genomic information - now evaluating over 1,200,000 genotypes each month, with capacity continuing to grow.
But innovation alone doesn’t transform an industry. It must be delivered, supported and adopted.
That’s where the Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI) plays its vital role. ABRI commercialises the BREEDPLAN genetic evaluation, managing the operational systems, software and data platforms, and extension and support services that bring BREEDPLAN to life on farms across Australia and around the world. This creates a seamless pipeline from scientific discovery to real‑world impact, ensuring beef producers worldwide can benefit from the latest advances in genetic evaluation.
And the impact has been extraordinary.
Since 2000, genetic improvement driven by BREEDPLAN has delivered an estimated $11.6 billion in economic benefit to the Australian beef industry. The rate of genetic gain is now ten times faster than when BREEDPLAN was released in 1985. For producers, that means cattle that grow better, breed better and meet market demands more consistently. On average, each cow mated is now worth around $170 more thanks to cumulative improvements in fertility, growth and carcase traits.
The return on investment? An astonishing 33:1 - a testament to the power of long‑term research, industry collaboration and science‑based decision‑making.
What began as a challenge has become a story of transformation. AGBU’s sustained research leadership has reshaped the industry, helping producers build herds that are more profitable, more resilient and more sustainable for generations to come. And BREEDPLAN continues to push the boundaries of genetic improvement, driving ongoing innovation to ensure Australian beef remains world‑class well into the future.
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