As commercial agriculture uses fewer breeds in farming operations, heritage and rare breeds are becoming extinct.
Poultry breeders say it is becoming very difficult to get new genetics for some types of ducks and chickens.Dr Gressier said Australia had no cryo-conservation facilities to collect and store sperm and embryos and laws for some species, such as pigs, did not permit the importation of genetic material.
"The whole conservation effort is in the hands of individual farmers, volunteer organisations, and rare breed societies such as the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia," she said.in order to support continued commercial production. "For example, pork that's coming from Hampshires or Tamworths or Wessex Saddlebacks [pig breeds] that are in a really endangered states," she said."To preserve these animals in our economic situation, it really is about finding how they can have some sort of economic viability."In the West Australian wheatbelt, Linton and Kerry Batt have run a commercial herd of Berkshire pigs for the past 10 years.
Berkshires produce fewer pigs per litter and are slower to grow in comparison to the Landrace or Large White breeds which dominate commercial piggeries.Linton Batt supplies a boutique market with his Berkshire pork, which he says competes on flavour.
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