The move by the ICBF this week to publish and change genomic values shows the independence of the organisation to deliver the right information for farmers. However, they are not without blame.

Changes at this stage are very late given we are three weeks from the start of the breeding season down south. Surely this could have been planned better and signalled to the sector well in advance.

Also, what appears to be a technical problem on a software update has caused some significant changes to the EBI values on some sires. This will cause significant stress and loss of value to some AI companies and farmers.

The ICBF must ensure to limit this situation recurring with better checks and balances when upgrading new software so that this does not happen again. Human error and upgrades that cause changes are always a possibility but the ICBF and its senior management must ensure that they are reduced to a minimum. Big financial decisions by AI companies and farmers are taken on the back of these numbers. Again, maybe changes are required in how details are presented.