Benchmark Says Breakthrough Made For Salmon Breeding Programmes

LONDON (Alliance News) - Benchmark Holdings PLC on Wednesday said its SalmoBreed AS subsidiary has started using a method called Genomic Selection in its genetic breeding programmes for pancreas disease and sea lice resistance.

Benchmark said the use of the process "can provide a significant advancement in developing resistance to both PD and sea lice in salmon, and thus provide significant savings for the industry" and said its geneticists are thus far very pleased with the results from using the method.

Benchmark provides technical services, products and specialist knowledge for the food and farming industries.

"It is fantastic to see SalmoBreed embracing the collaborative approach to innovation which typifies Benchmark's culture. The use of Genomic Selection is a major breakthrough for the salmon genetics industry, allowing us to be far more specific in our broodstock identification and resulting in a more sustainable process for both the animals themselves and their wider environment," said Benchmark Chief Executive Malcolm Pye.

Shares in Benchmark were up 3.4% to 99.30 pence on Wednesday.

By Sam Unsted; samunsted@alliancenews.com; @SamUAtAlliance

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