Italy

A.N.A.F.I.J. The Italian Holstein and Jersey Breeders Association

ANAFI, the Italian Holstein Breeders Association, was founded in 1945.
Its headquarters is at Cremona (where its genetic centre, databank, research and development office, technical facilities and magazine are situated).

Anafi is the largest breeders’ association in Italy with over 13,300 registered breeders.
It keeps the herd book and develops a breed selection programme on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests.
Its work has been ISO 9001 certified since 2000.

All Holstein cows subjected to functional controls are also registered in the Herd Book. The data is gathered by 90 provincial and regional offices spread throughout Italy. The production figures are certified by the AIA, which co-ordinates the work of functional controls for all breeds throughout Italy.

The ANAFI databank contains over 60,000,000 records relating to about 14,000,000 animals. ANAFI manages the type classification programme of all first-lactation cows (about 270,000 a year) and takes part in the organisation of about 30 official shows each year. Since 1999 it has also had the task of managing the Jersey breed herd book, which amounts to over 6,500 cows in Italy.

Apart from herd book management ANAFI carries out genetic evaluations for productive, type and functional characters and co-ordinates a national programme of progeny tests with about 400 young bulls under testing each year.

Before entering Italian artificial insemination centres, all Holstein bulls pass through its genetic centre, where a careful evaluation of their genetic value is conducted and they are tested for known undesirable genetic characters and submitted to a strict quarantine in compliance with the highest European health standards.

Anafi publishes “Bianconero”, a monthly magazine for Italian breeders, with an issue in English once a year for the international market.

The latest news on events concerning the Italian Holstein sector can be found on its website, as well as the index classifications of the top bulls and the best Italian cows, the results of the main shows, many pages on the best Italian breeders and much else.