Our purpose.

We’re driven by our conviction that the Jersey breed is integral to the continued success of New Zealand’s dairy industry. 

This season the average Jersey herd will make a 70-cent margin over their Holstein Friesian counterparts. The margin is a combination of higher milk price, lower replacement costs and more milk solids per unit of feed, less the lower meat returns and additional per cow costs.

Efficiency aside, the Jersey breed is integral for crossbreeding programmes and to maintain genetic diversity. That genetic diversity will allow the NZ dairy industry to sustain genetic improvement and dairy farmers to adapt their livestock to changing environments and demands.

Our work.

We’re advocating for the Jersey breed on a range of issues including increasing the intake of Jersey bulls for sire proving schemes; adjustments to indices to incorporate the effect of sire breed on pregnancy energy requirements and breed differences in pregnancy rates; and adjustments to capacity charges which will reward herds with higher milksolid percentages.

We’re also looking to partner with other organisations on research initiatives around the environmental and animal welfare advantages of the Jersey breed, as well as the branding of Jersey and Jersey cross milk and meat products.

Our structure.

Jersey Advantage is a not-for-profit organisation, comprised of a group of motivated, successful young farmers. The group is split into three committees that work across the areas of commercial influence, future proofing and promotions.

Jersey Advantage is governed by a trust board that oversees the activity of the working group.

The group works alongside the Jersey New Zealand breed society, and the society have appointed representatives to each of the committees as well as the trust board.

See a list of our trustees and committee members here.