EBV attitudes changing

That was the initial finding of an ongoing project looking at the adoption of EBVs and gene marker technology in the sheep and beef sectors, said Lewis Holloway of Hull University.

The project was being undertaken by the geography department and Dr Holloway stressed he was a social scientist with no particular link with agriculture or opinion about EBVs and genes.

He said it was useful to have a spectrum rather than a yes/no situation, as farmers could move along it, or even be in a couple of different places at the same time.

For those at the sceptical end of the scale, there appeared to be a few key barriers to adoption, he said:

• Strength of traditional techniques
• Lack of perceived commercial advantage
• The history of carcase grading and subsidies
• Complexity
• Statistical accuracy, especially in numerically small breeds
• (For gene markers) proof it was applicable in the UK

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