The world has been changing for 150 years and so has CRV

With the theme ‘the world is changing,’ in 2024 we will highlight the added value of CRV’s innovations for member farmers over the past 150 years. We will also look ahead at what CRV has in store for the new generation of farmers.

The world is changing. Farmers throughout the world notice that in their day-to-day business. “But change is timeless. There have always been challenges and farmers have always found solutions to deal with them. For 150 years, CRV has been an innovative and dependable partner for its member farmers,” says Wietse Duursma, chairperson of CRV Cooperative. Because the world has been changing for 150 years and so has CRV.

On 5 December 1874, the Nederlandsche Rundvee-Stamboek (N.R.S) was established in Amsterdam. This date marks the start of Coöperatieve Rundveeverbetering (CRV) in the Netherlands. A few years later, farmers in Flanders also took the initiative to jointly address cattle registration. The launch of the herd book for registration was followed by the introduction of conformation evaluation, milk production monitoring, breeding value estimation and the mating tool SireMatch. And more recently, the development of genomic testing with HerdOptimizer and the breeding strategy FeedExcel to increase feed efficiency.

Over the past 150 years, CRV has evolved into a leading international company, that is active in more than 60 countries around the world. Around 2,000 employees work passionately every day to support farmers in breeding healthy herds that produce efficiently. With top-quality genetics, smart breeding management solutions and personal advice, we work to keep to our commitments to member farmers and customers. We believe that better cows lead to a better life for farmers and their environment. CRV stands for Better Cows > Better Life.

“The current generation of farmers face new challenges. Raw materials are becoming scarcer, policymakers are making higher demands in relation to the impact on the environment and climate of farming, and consumers have growing expectations to farm management,” Duursma believes. “With data solutions and our breeding programmes that set the tone internationally in breeding for health and efficiency, CRV supports farmers in finding solutions for these new challenges,” he emphasises.

Next year, keep an eye on CRV’s communication channels. We look forward to showing you how we can help you prepare for the challenges ahead.