Oklahoma’s fair season is here, and one staple for many communities is visiting livestock show rings, where many young FFA and 4-H exhibitors compete.

But for Addie Raber, a junior at Oklahoma State University, it was her first time judging livestock instead of showing them. Raber judged the Payne County Dairy Show last month and said she finds it important for young people like herself to be active in the agriculture industry.

“With farms getting bigger but there being less [farmers], we need to keep the youth interested because that’s the next producers of our nation,” Raber said.

Dairy farms across the country have been declining for nearly 20 years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One reason why, Raber said, is that young people might get dissuaded by the hard work it takes to maintain a dairy farm.

Kateleigh Mills

“You have to milk the cows every morning and night, and sometimes three times a day, depending on the kind of operation that you run,” Raber said. “They have to be fed once or twice a day, and you have to keep the barns cleaned out constantly.”

Showing animals at the fair plays a critical part in informing the general public about the agriculture industry, said Rusty Gosz, a youth livestock specialist with OSU Extension, in a news release.

“Our livestock shows produce less than 2% of what we’re putting into the food chain,” Gosz said. “But probably 85% to 90% of the general public views agriculture through livestock shows.”

For Raber, showing animals is a responsibility she takes seriously and hopes to continue in the future. As a double major in agriculture communications and animal sciences, she hopes to become a livestock photographer someday.

Source: kosu.org

For many families, August represents a season of transition. As soon as the calendar flips to this month, those with school-aged children start to think about heading back to school. Those students who play fall sports often start having two-a-day practices in the first week of August. Those who are in youth programs like 4-H and FFA are busy that first week putting the finishing touches on their project animals before they head off to the fair. And then all at once, summer comes to an end.

The county fairs wrap up, project animals either go back in with their herd mates or head to market, and the kids we got used to having around to handle evening milkings and do daily chores on the farm are once again gone at the crack of dawn to catch that big yellow bus. Some parents joke that they can’t wait for school to start again, but I always look to the fall with a mix of anticipation and regret.

The anticipation is because I do look forward to what each school year will bring – how many inches will they grow, what classes will they like, what new friends will they make. The regret is because I am thinking of the things we never had time to do while they were home for the summer. And now, between school and sports schedules, there is not much time to fit in anything else. My boys, however, always seem more excited than me when August rolls around.

Market Transition

As students across the country head back to school, our dairy markets experience a transition as well. In 2021, about 44.3 billion pounds of milk were sold in the bottle – or as fluid milk. That’s roughly 20 percent of the total milk production in the country. From August through May, fluid milk sales range between 3.5 and 3.9 billion pounds per month. However, in June and July, the amount of milk sold as fluid milk falls about 7 percent to around 3.4 billion pounds per month. That is because kids are not drinking as much milk at home as they are at school.

USDA estimated that children aged 6 through 12 years get 35 percent of their milk needs at schools while teenagers aged 13 through 18 years get 25 percent of their milk needs at schools. USDA studies also show that consumption of fluid milk is higher for both groups on weekdays, when schools are generally in session, than on weekends. It’s also higher during the school year than it is during the summer.

In the summer, the milk displaced by schools being closed moves into ice cream sales. In fact, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) estimates that three-fifths of annual ice cream production in the US is made in July, with May and June close behind. In 2021, ice cream makers in the U.S. churned out more than 1.3 billion gallons of ice cream. Based on IDFA’s statistics, about 1 billion gallons of that is produced in the summer months.

Dairy Consumption Growing

On an annual basis, fluid milk sales continue to decline across the U.S. USDA reported a 4.1 percent decline in 2021, falling from 46.2 billion in 2020 to 44.3 billion pounds to 2021. Last year marked the twelfth year in a row that fluid milk sales declined, with fluid milk consumption at its lowest since 1951. The only fluid milk category showing growth last year was flavored milk, with sales up 14.3 percent.

Part of the decline in fluid milk sales is attributed to declining school milk sales. However, fewer families eating at home, where milk is more likely to be served, and declining cereal consumption are also considered factors in the decline. The most significant factor often referenced, though, is competition from other beverages, especially flavored waters.

Despite declining fluid milk sales, total dairy product sales are increasing, with increasing domestic cheese and butter consumption, along with growing export sales, helping to bolster sales. USDA data shows that per capita dairy consumption is now at its highest level since 1960, up 52 pounds over the past 10 years.

Total cheese production was up 2.8 percent in 2021, totaling 13.624 billion pounds. Considering it takes about 10 pounds of milk to make a pound of cheese, that means roughly about 136.24 billion pounds of milk produced in the U.S. goes into cheese production, or roughly 60 percent of the U.S. milk supply. Domestic butter production was down in 2021, falling 3.8 percent from all-time high levels in 2020. Per capita consumption of butter is up nearly 40 percent from 20 years ago, with the average American consuming 6.3 pounds of butter each year.

Dairy and School Meals

The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee just passed the “Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act,” a bill which reauthorizes federal child nutrition programs. While dairy groups were disappointed that the bill did not allow for whole milk to be reintroduced into the School Meals Program, it did include provisions to provide increased access and maintain existing access to other healthful dairy foods. The bill also increased students’ access to nutritious food by securing more permanently the ability for schools to serve all milk options, including low and reduced fat milk, consistent with the Dietary Guidelines.

While we didn’t win the war, we did win a major battle in that dairy continues to hold an important spot on the school lunch tray. And, with families across America sending their kids back to school this month, that’s not only a major win for dairy but for the 12 million food insecure children out there who need milk’s powerful package of nine essential nutrients critical to their health and development.

Source: Center for Dairy Excellence

Katelyn Packard of Manchester, Michigan, was selected as the state winning 2022 Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperator (OYDC) by a panel of judges represented by leaders in the Great Lakes dairy industry. As the state winning cooperator, Packard will represent MMPA at various industry and association activities.

Drew and Beth Rupprecht of Vassar, Michigan, were selected as the runners-up cooperators. Selection of the OYDC is based on the applicant’s farming operations, farm-related and community activities and demonstrated leadership abilities.

Packard farms 950 acres and operates a 450-cow dairy with her family. She is a member of the MMPA Saline-Ann Arbor Local in District 1 and also serves as an MMPA Dairy Communicator, working to promote dairy in her local community. Packard and her family regularly invite neighbors to tour their farm and run a successful farm store where they sell products from their farm.

“We strive for happy, healthy, well-fed animals and have found when this happens, everything else falls into place,” Packard said. “Our farm’s mission is to provide healthy and safe food while caring for our animals, the environment, and our community.”

Packard was one of several finalists invited to the annual OYDC Conference held Aug. 9-10. The state OYDC Conference, held at MMPA headquarters in Novi, provides participants with information about milk marketing activities, cooperatives, milk testing procedures and other current events within the dairy industry. The program has been held annually for over 70 years.

“The OYDC program is a fundamental tool in encouraging young dairy cooperators to network and learn more about their cooperative to help identify future leaders and recognize their efforts,” Doug Chapin, MMPA board chairman, said. Chapin and his wife, Cheri, were the MMPA OYDC runners-up in 1990.

All MMPA OYDC finalists will be officially recognized at MMPA’s 107th Annual Meeting to be held March 2023.

2022 OYDC Finalists

• Trevor and Holly Bollinger, Vestaburg, Michigan
• Jordan and Erin Booms, Lake City, Michigan
• Jason Elenbaum, Mayville, Michigan
• Jeffrey Marvin, Clayton, Michigan
• Katelyn Packard, Manchester, Michigan
• Andrew and Beth Rupprecht, Vassar, Michigan

About Michigan Milk Producers Association
The Michigan Milk Producers Association–established in 1916–is a member-owned and operated milk marketing cooperative and dairy processor serving dairy farmers throughout Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana. In addition to a cheese plant in Indiana and a dairy product plant in Ohio, MMPA operates two SQF Level 3 dairy ingredient plants in Michigan, producing butter, nonfat dry milk powder, condensed skim milk, cream and whole milk powder.

A2 Milk managing director David Bortolussi says while the infant formula market in China remains challenging, there is still a “significant growth opportunity” for the company.

• A2 Milk profit up 52%
• Expects revenue and profit growth in 2023
• Plans $150M share buyback

The a2 Milk Company increased annual profit 52% and said its infant formula business has returned to growth after it took the “difficult decision” to destroy excess inventory that had built up during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Net profit increased to $166.2 million in the year to the end of June, from $80.7m the previous year, while revenue rose 20% to $1.45 billion. The result was ahead of analyst expectations.

The pandemic hurt A2 Milk’s key Chinese infant formula business as closed borders and lockdowns disrupted shipping, the birth rate fell, and competition from local brands increased. It wrote down more than $100m of older stock and said the outlook for its business is now positive with continued growth in revenue and profit expected this year.

“It was a successful year for The a2 Milk Company returning to double-digit growth in revenue and earnings despite significant headwinds,” said managing director David Bortolussi. “Those difficult decisions we made last year around inventory have worked and set the foundations for the result this year.”

The company noted that the infant formula market in China, the world’s largest, remained “challenging”, but said there was still “significant growth opportunity” for A2 Milk. It reiterated its goal for $2b of sales by about 2026.

According to the China National Bureau of Statistics, the number of births in China fell 11.5% to 10.6 million in 2021, and A2 Milk expects the decline to continue in 2022.

This led to a 4.3% overall decline in Chinese infant powder market volume in the year to the end of June. The overall market value slipped 3.1% while prices rose 1.3%.

A2 Milk said its business was benefiting from a shift to ultra-premium brands, more rapid growth of the A2 protein segment, increased concentration towards market leading brands and a shift to online channels.

“We are in a really nice spot to continue our growth, notwithstanding what the market is doing,” Bortolussi said.

Sales of the company’s Chinese label infant formula rose 12% to $437.6m, driven by record high market shares achieved in Mother and Baby stores, which lifted to 3% from 2.2%, and Chinese domestic online channels, which advanced to 2.5% from 2%.

Meanwhile, a decline in English label product was showing signs of stabilisation, with the overall market value down 9% in the year to June, compared with a 33% decline the previous year, the company said.

Sales of A2 Milk’s English label formula jumped 12% to $584.6m after the company restructured the way its products were shipped to China in favour of more direct relationships.

Despite “challenging market dynamics”, A2 Milk said growth in its Chinese and English infant formula was “encouraging”.

“It has been a very good year for us in China, the IFM category has had headwinds, but we are getting just stronger,” said A2 Milk’s Greater China chief executive Xiao Li.

The company expects revenue to increase in both labels this year and said there was “significant opportunity” to grow its market share from its current level of 4% to 5%.

Jarden senior analyst Adrian Allbon said the increase in revenue was helped by a 36% increase in marketing spending in China to $230m.

“The revenue uplift looks to have been underpinned by materially higher marketing spend vs our expectation and almost opposite to market expectations given the Shanghai lockdowns over the period,” Allbon said.

A2 Milk said the extra marketing helped boost the brand to new highs and loyalty increased.

“The company has gone through a pretty brutal turnaround the last couple of years,” said Fisher Funds senior portfolio manager Sam Dickie.

Bortolussi had made bold calls, like writing off inventory and taking more control of its sales into China, which hurt short-term sales but made the business more robust in the longer term, he said.

“The things they can control, they’re controlling well,” Dickie said. “If they can beat expectations and execute well in this very tough environment, while undergoing a turnaround and with this hurricane headwind of a falling birthrate, imagine when those things stabilize.”

Dickie said Fisher Funds had been buying shares in A2 Milk over the past six to nine months.

“They’re in turnaround mode – they’ve still got some tough headwinds out there, but they seem to be executing very well with the aspects they can control.”

The company’s shares were the biggest gainer on the NZX in late afternoon trading on Monday, jumping 9.7% to $6. The stock has lost about 57% of its value over the past three years.

A2 Milk ended the financial year with $816.5m in net cash, and it plans to spend as much as $150m on buying back its shares over the next year.

The company does not pay dividends.

Source:stuff.co.nz

Overseas demand for U.S. dairy products continues at a blistering pace this year, even as higher prices domestically are taking a toll on consumption closer to home. The U.S. dairy industry achieved another record export volume in June, shipping 19.6 percent, or almost one-fifth, of its total milk solids production to foreign countries. It also set a new record for the dairy trade balance of 16.2 percent in terms of milk solids production.

See report here

Rabobank has published its annual Global Dairy Top 20, highlighting the 2022 industry leaders in the dairy sector.

©Rabobank

Compared to last year’s top 20, five companies have dropped down, six moved up, and the rest maintained the same position, with Lactalis holding on to the top spot. 

The top five companies are:

1. Lactalis
2. Nestlé
3. Danone
4. Dairy Farmers of America
5. Yili.

Danone and Dairy Farmers of America have switched places, compared to the 2021 results.

Among the companies that have slipped down the ranking in 2022 were FrieslandCampina and Arla Foods. FrieslandCampina has dropped from #7 to #8, while Arla Foods slipped from #8 to #9 place.

At the same time, Müller was among those that jumped up the ranking, from #20 position in 2021 to #17 in 2022. Meanwhile, Froneri is the new company to join the top 20 this year. 

Rabobank said: “The combined turnover of the Global Dairy Top 20 companies jumped by 9.3% in US dollar terms, following the prior year’s decline of 0.1%…Merger and acquisition activity by Top 20 companies remained relatively stable in 2021 compared to the prior year, but dropped in the first half of 2022, with about 10 deals announced versus the prior year’s approximately 30 deals.”

Source: FoodBevMedia

Milk deliveries expected to decline 0.6% in 2022

According to the latest data and reflections of market experts within the European Commission, EU dairy prices are at record levels. While skimmed milk powder and whole milk powder prices remain relatively stable and whey prices are showing some decline, others continue to rise. This has seen EU raw milk prices reach record highs. Despite this, farmers’ margins remain tight due to higher input costs. Dry and warm weather conditions in spring affected grass quality and the availability of other feed ratio components, which could see milk yield development being lower than expected in 2022.

This, along with a smaller dairy herd (-1%), combine to result in an expected decline of 0.6% in EU milk deliveries in 2022. The lower grass quality and lower feed use are also likely to decrease the milk fat and protein content, thus reducing the availability of milk solids for further processing.

In 2021, the EU milk sector experienced unprecedented developments. The seasonal trend historically observed in the EU raw milk price did not materialise and prices grew throughout the year. Despite the price increase, EU milk deliveries dropped by 0.4%, for the first time since 2009. The rising costs slowed down the milk yield growth (1.2%) and led to a stronger than expected dairy herd reduction (-1.5%).

EU cheese and cream production could continue to grow and reduce milk fat availability for butter and whole milk powder production. An increase in cheese exports is expected, while domestic use of dairy products could grow slightly in 2022 (+0.3%), assuming sustained retail sales and foodservice recovery, as well as limited transmission of higher producer prices along the chain to consumers.

Some estimates suggest alt-dairy will expand at a CAGR of 12.5% from 2022 to 2030.

Has the dairy sector got anything to fear from the growing consumer interest in alternatives to conventional products?

No-one is suggesting traditional dairy is going to be overtaken by plant-based alternatives anytime soon. Figures provided by UK-based research and analysis company GlobalData – Just Food’s parent – reveal the size of the global dairy market was US$618.8bn in 2021 while alt-dairy was $48.1bn.

However, alt-dairy appears to have an extremely useful commodity: momentum.

As GlobalData says in its Dairy and Dairy Alternatives Update, Q2, 2022 report: “Potato milk, pea milk, milk derived from precision fermentation and all other kinds of dairy variants have shaken up the dairy industry in the past few years. The growing alternative segment has driven traditional dairy producers to explore new flavours to retain customers’ interest.

“In comparison to dairy alternatives, traditional dairy has also been facing some scrutiny around how healthy it truly is. Launches demonstrate renewed efforts to position dairy products as healthy and ‘good for you’, by adding ingredients that are well-known to have a positive effect on the body.

“As consumers embrace dairy alternatives more, dietary needs are shifting and brands need to adjust accordingly. Brands should take note of how other launches are targeting health-conscious and curious consumers, to ensure that they are offering a novel product that stands out from the crowd.”

Both alt-dairy and dairy received a boost during the Covid pandemic when consumers’ minds turned very much towards what they were putting in their body and focused on health and wellness.

On-trend

But alt-dairy has the added bonus of being on-trend.

In comparison to alt-dairy with its links to hip coffee shops, appeal to younger demographics and sheer innovation, traditional dairy can sometimes feel a little clumsy in its messaging and slow to change.

Of course, it’s not an either/or and nor are the sides in the battle firmly entrenched. Most major dairy companies now have skin in the alt-dairy game.

But it is arguably easier to promote alt-dairy, the new kid on the block, with its varieties and plant-based pedigree, certainly when it comes to dietary intolerances, the impact on the environment and messages for younger consumers.

Some traditional dairy firms are investing more in plant-based.

Last week, French dairy giant Lactalis, the world’s largest dairy company, had just announced it is converting a milk production facility in Canada into one manufacturing plant-based alt-dairy products.

Lactalis said the facility in Sudbury, Ontario, will cease its current milk operations due to “unprofitability in the fluid milk market” there.

Mark Taylor, president and CEO of Lactalis Canada, said: “While our core business is dairy, as an innovation leader and as demonstrated by our forthcoming expansion into plant-based, we are constantly following the consumer and continually seeking opportunities to innovate and respond to the market.”

Against this backdrop of alt-dairy gathering momentum, dairy companies and market-watchers are pondering whether more needs to be done in terms of messaging and innovation to give traditional dairy a boost and to put its young pretender rival in its place.

Health a key battleground

Danny Micklethwaite, vice president of marketing at Arla Foods’ UK arm, says: “The key to winning consumers’ hearts and minds for us is through combining this natural nutrition with innovation and added-value products that really meet consumer needs.”

Vikki Nicholson-West, senior vice-president of global ingredients marketing at the US Dairy Export Council (USDEC), an organisation that represents the global trade interests of the US dairy industry, echoes those thoughts.

“There remains both an opportunity and a need to continue sharing the breadth and depth of science-backed health and nutritional benefits of cows’ milk-based dairy foods and ingredients as smart and delicious choices for nurturing healthy bodies across life stages,” she says.

“For example, while protein is naturally found in a variety of animal and non-animal foods, there is a wide variance in the nutritional quality of protein. Dairy proteins consistently rate high across various protein quality measurement indicators because they are a nutritionally complete protein source containing all of the essential amino acids and high levels of branched-chain amino acids.”

Amira Freyer-Elgendy, an analyst at GlobalData, believes health claims are at the heart of this debate.

“The issue is that, since Covid, people are so careful about their health and a key way they are embracing it is to kick out or reduce dairy,” she says.

“Our global research shows that 60% of people who said they would switch from dairy to plant-based said the main reason was health.

“Alternatives are not technically any more healthy but it’s about health perception.”

Nicholson-West at the USDEC is in no doubt that what her industry represents has a clear advantage on health claims.

“When it comes to health, and specifically having decades of accumulated evidenced-based published nutrition research studies about health, conventional dairy from cow’s milk shines,” she says.

“Dairy firms can and should have confidence that the business/consumer fundamentals and demand outlook remains strong for continued global consumption expansion of dairy-based food and ingredients.”

Alt-dairy gains march on innovation

Micklethwaite at Arla agrees. “Cow’s milk is a unique source of natural nutrition. It is accessible, affordable and remains a staple in household fridges across the nation,” he says.

However, conventional milk can increasingly be found sitting alongside alt-dairy variants in fridges as consumers mix and match depending on their family’s health needs and taste preferences.

Arguably, traditional dairy, like a sports team reliving past glories, has to accept up-and-coming rivals have something new and different to offer. It may have to share the spoils going forward and be aware innovation-heavy alt-dairy may have a few more tricks up its sleeve.

As Mary Ledman, a global strategist at Rabobank covering the dairy market, says: “I think plant-based milk has improved dramatically over the last few decades, as has how consumers use the product. Oatmilk in coffee is delicious and coconut milk in rice pudding is delicious.

“Traditional milk was traditionally used around the breakfast table and largely consumed by families. The demographic has changed.

“The dairy industry can’t rest on its laurels about the nutritional density of milk. Oatmilk will add vitamins etc to match it. It [the dairy industry] still has to innovate.”

Micklethwaite at Arla takes this point and highlights where the cooperative had innovated in traditional dairy.

“Our brands all have very different demographics of shoppers so each piece of marketing we do is highly targeted at the right audience group. For example, communicating the nutrients found in Arla Big Milk will be a very different message to the people we need to see our marketing for Arla Protein,” he says.

“All of our branded milks give consumers the same nutrition as regular milk but with an added benefit. Arla BOB is skimmed milk that tastes like semi [skimmed milk], Arla Big milk is enriched with key nutrients for growing children and Arla Cravendale is filtered for purity, making it last longer than standard fresh. Arla Lactofree offers all the nutrients and goodness of dairy but with the lactose removed, making it easier to digest.

“And, if you take the yogurt category, which is a very crowded space, our products have a clear role for our shoppers. The Arla Protein range is low fat and gives people an easy way to get extra protein in their diet in an easy, tasty way, while Arla Skyr is a great tasting, healthy yogurt that is naturally high in protein.”

But, notwithstanding Arla’s individual efforts, there is a feeling among some industry watchers that dairy as an industry needs to do more on messaging and innovation.

“They probably need to use more buzzwords, perhaps things linked to increased muscle strength and energy boosting. I don’t see many energy-boosting claims so they could tap into that, or immunity boosting,” Freyer-Elgendy at GlobalData says. “Also, there is not so much playfulness in traditional milk. It’s about capturing consumer excitement.

“Alt-dairy is winning on variety in milk but losing on cheese which continues to do well because there’s so much variety in cheese already and it [plant-based cheese] hasn’t got the flavour profile. But dairy generally needs to do more in terms of variety and R&D – blending milk with other things, adding flavours to milk products.”

One area where traditional dairy should be able to prosper is on price, against the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis. Alt-dairy normally carries a price premium.

“Targeting value-driven consumers is clever. There will be more of this in the next few years,” Freyer-Elgendy says.

The sustainability debate

It could be argued dairy is perhaps on shakier ground when it comes to sustainability and the impact the sector has on the environment.

Arla is one of a number of dairy companies looking to take action in a critical area – methane emissions. It is collaborating with Dutch bioscience company DSM on a large-scale on-farm pilot of Bovaer, a feed additive said to reduce the methane from cows.

More generally, Micklethwaite thinks the dairy industry need to promote its efforts to be sustainable.

“We know that dairy has challenges but Arla farmers are already some of the most climate efficient in the world and we have a clear ambition to be carbon net zero by 2050,” he says.

“Each of our farmers is offered a ‘climate check’. This is an independent assessment of their own carbon footprint, meaning they can have a clear plan on where to focus their efforts in reducing emissions.”

Nicholson-West at USDEC agrees. “US dairy farmers are making solid progress in using significantly less water, land and resources to produce more milk with fewer cows. In 2017, producing a gallon of milk in the United States involved 30% less water, 21% less land and a 19% smaller carbon footprint than in 2007,” she says.

Traditional dairy appears to have weapons at its disposal to be competitive but it has, arguably, not been pro-active enough in getting those messages out. Likewise, while innovation exists – as Arla can testify – it has perhaps not been widespread enough.

But no-one is foolish enough to suggest that alt-dairy has all the winning hands.

When asked if traditional dairy is facing an existential threat, Ledman at Rabobank says: “Absolutely not.”

She adds: “I’m very optimistic about where dairy is going to go – not just as it is directed at millennials but the over-50 crowd as well.

“The early days of Covid saw a flight to traditional dairy. Fluid milk sales sky-rocketed. People were at home eating with their families.

“Now as we get post-Covid we are back more to our previous habits.

“But all major dairy companies have alt-dairy businesses as well. Dairy needs to look at it as a line extension.”

Source: Just Food

A fifth generation Dutch farmer expresses his concerns about the current situation in the Netherlands due to Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s overarching environmental policies: ‘They need the land from the farmers, that’s the cheapest way.’

In this report, I speak to a fifth generation dairy farmer who is concerned with the overreach by the Dutch government implementing radical green policies.

After a brief introduction with the farmer, I asked if he really thinks these policies are about climate change or whether there is another agenda at play? What does he say to city people who say farmers should just go vegan? And what does he think will happen if the farmers’ demands are not met?

As you are aware, protests by farmers are underway across the Netherlands. In fact, these protests have been going on since 2019, when the Dutch government declared a nitrogen emission crisis, meaning that farmers would have to cut livestock by up to 50%. Emission caps mean that the farmers have to reduce fertilizer usage. There is also a continued worry of farmers having to give up their land to the state.

Fast forward to 2022 and the situation has escalated — the protests have grown substantially, with the government not backing down on their push towards the agenda’s 2030 goals. The farmers are continuing to rally to show their discontent for the Dutch government and the World Economic Forum-pushed blueprints.

Therefore, for just a brief period of time, Rebel News headed back to the Netherlands to scope out the current situation with the farmers, and to see if tensions are still at a boiling point.

Source: Rebel News

One of the last working dairy farms on Ukrainian-controlled territory in the eastern Donbas region is doing everything it can to stay afloat in a place where neither workers nor animals are safe from Russia’s devastating war.

Only around 200 head of cattle remain of the nearly 1,300 kept at the farm before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The 8,000-acre (3,200-hectare) farm, set amid rolling hills in embattled Donetsk province, is producing two tons of milk a day compared to 11 tons daily before the war, its managers say.

While a significant proportion of the KramAgroSvit farm’s revenues also once came from cultivating wheat, continuing that work comes with risks. As a farm employee harvested wheat with a grain combine on Sunday, the machine hit two land mines, resulting in a fire that burned more than 60% of the worker’s body.

The worker survived, but is in critical condition as doctors tend to an infection.

An inspection by an emergency services team found 19 additional mines in the field, said Ihor Kriuchenko, the farm’s senior livestock technician, adding that going out to harvest now is “very dangerous due to the shelling and mines.” Farmhands drive combines around visible artillery fragments to avoid them.

Such realities of war have created a cascading series of complications that coalesced to drive the farm’s business down dramatically. In the nearby city of Kramatorsk, the provisional capital of Donetsk province, Russia’s attacks and a lack of gas for heating and cooking have caused most residents to evacuate, creating less demand for dairy products and, consequently, falling profits.

Business also took a hit as Russian forces captured several other cities where the farm had distributed its milk and those markets disappeared behind the front line.

Such conditions — disrupted demand and supply chains along with danger from shelling and mines — have made the prospect of farming in eastern Ukraine fraught with risks that threaten the future of the KramAgroSvit farm, which has been in business since 2003.

“This farm was hit (by a rocket), and 38 cows were killed, plus some of our farming equipment and vehicles were destroyed. Investors decided it was too risky to keep so many cows here, so they were sold abroad,” Kriuchenko said.

The farm’s owner had all the pigs and rabbits once raised there slaughtered and sold amid the uncertainty, he said.

Anna Lavrenyuk, general director of Ukraine’s Association of Milk Producers, said at the end of June that Ukrainian dairy farms lost at least 50,000 head of cattle worth an estimated $136 million during the first three months of the war.

Approximately 800 industrial dairy farms lost assets that included animals, barns, farming equipment and animal feed, Lavrenyuk said, while milk yields in front-line and Russian-occupied territories dropped by more than half since the war began.

Ukrainian milk production was likely to fall to 2 million tons for the year, down by 750,000 tons since 2021, she said.

Only around a third of the KramAgroSvit farm’s previous staff of 63 employees remains, Kriuchenko said, and revenues have dropped six-fold since Russian forces launched their offensive to seize the Donbas, an industrial region made up of Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk province.

One such worker, Nataliia Onatska, lined up around 50 cows side by side on Wednesday and attached vacuum pumps to their udders in one of the farm’s long, musty milking hangars.

She’s spent her entire life on a farm and calls her job “the point of my life.”

“I wish everything was like it was before and everyone had kept their jobs,” Onatska said. “It’s scary to live now. I’m just living from day to day.”

The farm now feeds its wheat to the cows as grain prices have fallen and logistics costs have spiked, Kriuchenko said. The crop wasn’t profitable on the market because of a Russian naval blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports that a U.N.-brokered agreement is only now slowly remedying.

But of all the myriad challenges facing the farm, he said, the most difficult part has been saying goodbye to colleagues who had invested so much in its success. Amid the cutbacks, he said, he had to fire his wife.

“It was very hard and sad to let all our staff go. Our team was brought together from nothing, and there was great teamwork, everything was good,” he said. “It was a shock for me to say goodbye to them.”

As Halyna Borysenko, another worker in the dairy, finished milking the cows for the day, she said she pitied them for also having to live through the war.

“The animals are acting differently. They’re scared just like we are,” she said. “They just can’t say it out loud.”

Source: abcnews.go.com

Two UNE academics unpack what a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak would mean for animal and human welfare, the environment, and the economy.

As our Indonesian neighbours face a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak, Australia is gearing up for the possibility of the viral disease reaching our shores for the first time in over a century.

While FMD doesn’t affect humans, it causes painful blisters on the mouth and feet of cloven-hoofed livestock such as cattle, sheep and pigs, and can be lethal for young animals.

With past overseas outbreaks having led to the mass culling of infected in affected zones and non-infected animals in buffer zones, UNE Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Dr Paul McGreevy, says if it were to come to Australia, there would be devastating impacts.

The environmental, human and animal welfare toll

“There will be significant animal welfare implications if FMD arrives; a prospect that is truly terrifying,” he says.

“There will also be profound implications for veterinary and biosecurity personnel, and, with large numbers of carcasses to dispose of, there would be environmental impacts.

“This is the so-called ‘triple bottom line’ that underpins UNE’s interest in the novel One Welfare framework, which is a concept highlighting the interconnections between animal welfare, human wellbeing and the environment.”

What would it mean for the economy?

In addition to the welfare and environmental impacts, economists predict an outbreak would have long-lasting consequences on the economy and the country’s ability to export meat products to certain areas around the globe.

“ABARES modelling from several years ago suggests that a large, multi-state outbreak of FMD outbreak in Australia would have an estimated direct economic impact of around $50 billion over 10 years. With rising prices of meat, this has become around $80 million,” says UNE Associate Professor in Biosecurity Economics, Dr Susan Hester.

“This is estimated to be mainly due to the cost of lost trade, although it does include some costs of responding.”

A/Prof Hester, who works in the UNE Business School and the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis at the University of Melbourne, has spent the past two decades researching how to reduce the impacts of biosecurity threats, and says an outbreak would be felt widely.

Trade bans and tourism

Reduced tourism, mental health impacts for those who administer and witness stock culls, and a change in what we pay at the grocery store, are all things to look out for if FMD were to spread.

“We would likely lose our access to premium meat export markets, and our products would be banned from those countries until FMD can be proven to have been eradicated from Australia,” she says.

“Given we export much more meat than we consume, if all the meat that we currently export was to be consumed in the domestic market, then prices would fall, although, if large quantities of animals had to be destroyed and did not become part of the supply chain, then prices could eventually rise.

“It really does depend on where the outbreak occurs, its size and how quickly it can be contained and eradicated.”

The road to recovery

As for how long it could take for Australia to recover from an FMD outbreak, A/Prof Hester says there are many factors at play.

“To regain FMD‐free status for trade, a country must wait three to six months after eradication, depending on the eradication strategy used. This comes on top of the time it takes to eradicate, which could be over a year.

“It depends on the size of the outbreak when it is first detected, and how many different outbreaks occur. Recovery would likely take a long time where there are many outbreaks and they are not discovered until they have spread widely.”

Australia’s biosecurity measures – our saving grace?

While the prospect of an outbreak is troubling, A/Prof Hester says Australia is well-equipped to keep a disease like this off our shores if biosecurity measures are adhered to.

“Australia has invested heavily for many decades in activities aimed at preventing FMD from entering and in planning and preparedness activities in the event FMD were detected here.

“We assist our near neighbours in the South-East Asian region to manage FMD, we have strong border risk-mitigation measures, and post-border, we have the ability to respond quickly to control and eradicate the disease. We have livestock tracing systems that would be used in the event of an outbreak, and there have also been various ‘practices’ at responding to an outbreak.”

What can be learnt from past threats?

As for what can be learnt from other threats we’ve seen in the past, A/Prof Hester says there is a lot to be gained from taking human behaviour into account when developing biosecurity measures.

“Human behaviour is crucially important to consider when we design the biosecurity rules and regulations that govern the import of cargo, passengers and mail items and the behaviour of domestic biosecurity stakeholders (all of us!) – COVID is a case in point.

“We need to focus on creating rules that these stakeholders will obey by choice, rather than creating rules that are likely to be circumvented, which will cost a lot of money to monitor, and which could make any outbreak worse than it might have been.”

Source: thedairysite.com

The CDC announced a 2.5% increase in the farm gate milk price

Inflation continues to put pressure on dairy profitability, according to Farm Credit Canada’s most recent dairy outlook report. Energy and feed prices seem to have peaked – but both remain near historical highs. With high inflation expected to continue, the Bank of Canada (BoC) raised its policy rate by 1%, increasing the cost of capital for farmers. After consultations with stakeholders, the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) announced a 2.5% increase in the farmgate milk price, effective on 1 September, to partially offset the impacts of inflation. This price adjustment will be deducted from the next price adjustment scheduled for 1 February 2023.

Production costs

Feed prices have eased from their peak. As a result, FCC lowered its forecasts for grain prices compared to earlier projections, but they remain well above their five-year average.
Although large areas in the Prairies are under moderate or severe drought, conditions have significantly improved according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. Recent Alberta crop reports show that the quality of pasture and tame hay have improved compared to last year but are still below their long-term averages. Western producers are expected to reduce feed imports, lowering production costs. In British Columbia, a wet and cold spring has meant reduced feed production. In Eastern Canada, the outlook is still positive for another good hay harvest.

Recent data show that prices for gasoline and diesel have begun to decline since peaking in June. Predicting the price of oil is a risky business, but signs are pointing to a decline in oil prices due to increased production and slower consumption growth.

Demand for dairy products

Following the February farmgate price hike, the price of butter increased the most at retail. From the June inflation data, the price of butter increased by 17.5%, compared to 7.9% for cheese, 8.0% for fresh milk and 8.7% for dairy products in general. This is not too surprising because after CUSMA, the lever the Canada Dairy Commission can use to increase the price at the farm is the support price of butter. For other dairy products, prices have been increasing more gradually as the prices for components other than butterfat depend on prices in the United States and in the rest of the world.

Inflation of world prices for skimmed milk (or nonfat dry milk) is also high and has helped balance the relative prices of milk components and supported the farmgate price. Between June of 2021 and 2022, the U.S. price for nonfat dry milk increased by 42.5%. In Canada over the same period, this caused the price of class 4(a) for non-fat solids to increase by 68%. Inflation in other milk classes has been high from a historical perspective but much lower than in class 4.

Given inflation, how well is the demand for dairy products holding up? It’s difficult to make definitive statements about the strength of demand because year-over-year (YoY) comparisons are not informative due to pandemic disruptions. Moreover, the demand for dairy is getting tested by high inflation for the first time in several years, and we are uncertain how consumers will shift consumption toward new products. Nielsen data for retail sales show that dairy volumes declined 7.8% in May 2022 compared to May 2021, with a 5.4% inflation rate over that period. The consumption decline could be partially attributable to increased consumption in food services and not reflect a shift down in the demand for dairy products. Consumption data for dairy alternatives suggest that it is the case. Like dairy products, volumes of dairy alternatives declined 6.0% YoY while their price increased by 2%.

Imports of dairy products

The value of Canadian imports of dairy products has continued to grow, but this largely reflects price inflation. Compared to the first five months of last year, import volumes for milk and cream have declined, but have increased for buttermilk, whey, butter and cheese.

The Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) has been with us for two years. By the end of July, the import quota for butter should be nearly filled. This is not surprising given that this product has the highest fill rate given the low stocks-to-use ratio for butter. Filled rates for milk and cream will exceed 50% but should not approach 100%.

Macroeconomic conditions

Inflation hit 7.7% in June. The BoC increased the overnight interest rate (OIR) by 1% on 13 June, noting in its announcement that it expects inflation to stay high for the rest of 2022. The BoC has increased the OIR by 2.25% so far this year. BoC is expected to increase the OIR by another 0.5 to 1.0% before the end of the year.

Source: FCC

As a dairy farmer whose family business has been milking cows for 53 years, here’s what I think: The dairy cow is the most efficient animal on Earth today.

It can be a central source of energy for the human body, and it could be a net exporter of energy for society — with the right policies in place. California cows can be sustainability solutions.

Dairy farmers for generations have dealt with changing weather patterns and moisture challenges, and it’s made us proactive. Research shows that producing a gallon of milk in 2017 required 30% less water, 21% less land, had a 19% smaller carbon footprint, and produced 20% less manure than in 2007.

Farmers are always working to identify new, innovative ways to conserve resources, reduce waste and work efficiently. The current buzzword is “climate-smart” agriculture. But climate-smart is just smart because it encourages efficiency, and what’s more efficient is more sustainable. It means asking new questions: What are the most drought-resistant crops we can plant? How do we move water across the farm? What’s the shortest path to get cows from one place to another? The answers to all these questions make a farm more efficient as well as sustainable.

FARM ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COVERS 80 PERCENT OF ALL U.S. MILK

About those cows. In 2009, the U.S. dairy industry launched the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program to encourage best practices across the industry, from how to best care for cows to safeguarding the environment and developing a high-quality workforce. FARM’s Environmental Stewardship initiative represents organizations that cover 80 percent of all milk produced in the United States. It provides a comprehensive estimate of greenhouse gas emissions and energy use on dairy farms, helping us know what we need to do better, and how to get better.

The industry has also launched the U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative, a partnership of the American dairy community that seeks a greenhouse-gas-neutral industry by 2050, if not sooner. But while big initiatives and evolving farming practices add up to a lot, truly game-changing progress beyond what’s already been done will require policy solutions.

INCENTIVES WOULD HELP DAIRY FARMS THRIVE WHILE BOOSTING RENEWABLE ENERGY

Remember what I said about the cow being an alternative energy source? Dairy farmers see great value in adopting technology that turns emissions from manure into renewable fuels to diversify farm income as well as reduce odors and emissions. But significant financial challenges persist in this area, from high up-front costs to the lack of a stable market for on-farm energy production.

Incentives for farmers to finance digesters and nutrient recovery systems for manure would help dairy farms thrive financially while boosting renewable energy supplies.

Another way to aid dairy sustainability is through allowing and encouraging the adoption of additives to animal feed that greatly reduce a cow’s “enteric emissions” — a fancy way of saying burping — that can contribute up to one-third of a dairy farm’s greenhouse gases. New additives such as plant extracts, fats, oils, and other byproducts can significantly improve digestibility and reduce methane emissions by 30% or more.

Right now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process for these additives follows the same cumbersome process it uses for antibiotics and hormones, even though feed additives move solely through the animal’s digestive tract. This slows down progress, and dairy farmers support legislation to change FDA’s stance while encouraging farmers to use these additives.

SUSTAINABILITY IS DAIRY’S FUTURE

Sustainability is dairy’s future, and dairy farmers are serious about it. We have to be — our families and businesses depend on it. American dairies have the lowest greenhouse-gas footprint per gallon of milk in the world; but our competition is positioning their way of farming and their products as more sustainable. Supporting farmer stewardship can help build a better future for everyone.

Dairy farmers have always known the good that cows can do. We’re making progress and hoping to see more for human diets and energy needs, and for a strong California industry for generations to come.

This story was originally published by the Fresno Bee on June 1. Click here for the post and visit www.fresnobee.com for more information.

Some organic dairy farms in Vermont have a new home after getting dropped by milk producer Horizon.

Of the 28 farms in Vermont dropped by Horizon, 11 are selling to Organic Valley, Stonyfield picked up seven, eight decided to stop operating and one is switching to conventional nonorganic farming and one is still determining its course of action.

Many farms got new equipment thanks to federal and state funding or technical assistance. However, more will need to be done to ensure long-term success.

Agency of Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts says he’s looking at regional consumers too.

“Now we just have to step forward and continue to support them, consumers out there if they can continue to support dairy, purchase as much dairy as they can, that all helps,” said Tebbetts.

Selina Rooney’s family was one of the dairy farmers dropped by Horizon Organic. She says with the termination of her contract came fear and questions.

“We were pretty depressed when we found out, we were in shock and in disbelief, nothing like that has ever happened around here,” Rooney said.

She was involved in the dairy task force strategizing on how to save impacted organic dairy farms. Her efforts on the task force came to a head on Wednesday

Travis Forgues with Organic Valley called it a big day for family farmers. They will be taking 5,000 lbs. of dairy from the Rooneys alone, every other day.

“It’s been a long time since Organic Valley has been in a position to help families, join the truck,” said Forgues

Milk is once again flowing out of the Rooney farm but state officials say there is still an uphill battle ahead, even with this celebration.

“Farmers have generally made the decision to either cease operations or go with Organic Valley or Stonyfield,” said Laura Ginsburg with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture.

Ginsburg said for the farm that has yet to decide its course of action since Horizon Organic cut ties, it has until February 2023 before its contract with Horizon ends.

“We are offering a number of grants for these farms to continue in that transition process to meet the needs and goals of Organic Valley,” said Ginsburg.

Those grants include, in part, new equipment, such as bulk tank recorders for temperature regulation, hot water heaters or technical assistance.

Despite the immediate help, long-term success means farm viability, even in the face of high grain prices, fuel prices or environmental sustainability changes.

That means investment in on-farm infrastructure, more equipment upgrades and sustainable dairy packaging.

The Rooney farm has evidence of upgrades, from new stalls to more movement space built in for calves. They are hoping consumers step up and buy products. But for now, they are just relieved the trucks will keep rolling.

“It’s not just a job for us, it’s our way of life and to think about that ending was really hard but when Organic Valley stepped up and said we will take you on it was just this sense of how we can keep going,” said Rooney.

Source: wcax.com

Stewart Gracey is a third-generation farmer based on the family, which was initially established as a pig and potato enterprise.

In the 1970s, Stewart’s grandfather, Bobby, converted the farm to a dairy enterprise. Stewart, alongside his father, Lindsay, operate the dairy farm.

Mountview Dairy Farm comprises 185-acres of grassland, set overlooking the Mourne mountains in Northern Ireland.

The herd consists of 120 dairy cows, supplying milk to the local Lakeland Dairies.

“Initially, we milked Friesian cows, which began to breed with Holstein bulls. This gave us stronger cows which milked well and had greater longevity,” Stewart explains to That’s Farming.

Mountview Dairy continued to use Holstein bloodlines until they reached a point whereby all animals were pure-bred Holsteins.

However, they shortly realised that they were harder to manage and did not prove to be strong or long-lasting.

“Three years ago, we decided it was time for us to try something new. Since then, we began cross-breeding with Fleckvieh. The first batch of our Fleckvieh-cross heifers are due to calf this autumn. We are looking forward to seeing the outcome.”

Calving season

The herd operates a mainly autumn-calving enterprise, with a few later cows calving through to March.

“Our breeding season begins on December 1^st each year, with now almost exclusively Fleckvieh or Holstein bulls. We do not utilise sexed semen.”

“Calving season commences in September, with the majority of calving taking place from September to November. For our enterprise, this is the preferred time for calving as the new mothers can stay indoors all winter.”

“This allows us to provide the females calving down with constant, high-quality feed which they would not be receiving outdoors due to our ever-changing weather conditions.”

“When we are selecting animals for breeding, strong, long-lasting, not too tall or too broad, are the main traits we seek in our cows.”

Moreover, they retain bull calves on-farm until they are between two/three weeks of age.

They sell the majority of bull calves to returning customers and take remaining calves to the local sales yard.

“Our heifer calves are retained as replacements, and we aim to calve these females at 22 to 24 months.”

“We established 33 single calf pens for the newborn calves, and at two to three weeks, the heifers are then grouped into larger pens,” Stewart tells That’s Farming.

Milk figures

Mountview Dairy farm established milk figures from last year’s benchmarking report, which has seen obvious fluctuations from the previous year.

“Our average milk yield last year was 8,500 litres per cow, which is 360 litres less than our previous year’s report.”

“However, we have fed 411kg less of meal per cow, at a feed rate of 0.29kg/litre, which equates to a total of 2,400kg of meal fed for 2021.”

“Our milk from forage is a sum of 3,070 litres, which is 550 litres more than the previous year’s report.”

Furthermore, the dairy enterprise has achieved a butterfat figure of 3.96% and protein of 3.23%, respectively.

Grassland management

On this farm, grassland management is of “serious” importance. In turn, soil quality is monitored by soil sampling every winter,.

The fields are used for grazing by a local sheep farmer in the winter period. The sheep eat the old grass, so the cows can reap the benefits of the fresh grass in the spring.”

“When summer commences, we mow the grass ahead of the cows being let into each field, which we find leaves the field much cleaner. The cows eat all of the pre-cut grass, so we do not have to top the fields afterwards, which leaves grass laying in the field.”

“We mow two cuts of silage, with the first cut being harvested in May, followed by the second cut in mid-July. The silage goes into pits, with a small portion of silage going into round bales.”

Infrastructure

At present, they use a Fullwood 12-point swing over parlour. We milk twice daily, commencing at 6am and 4.30pm, with each milking lasting for approximately two hours.

Their housing units consist of an 80-cubicle shed, a 72-cubicle shed, and smaller sheds for calving and rearing calves in pens.

During summer of 2021, they built a new slurry tank for extra slurry storage as we previously had to hold slurry in a neighbour’s tank to store all.

Mountview Dairy Farm plan to build a shed on top of the tank next year, which will have space for an additional 50 cubicles and some calving pens.

Recently, the dairy farm introduced a Holm & Laue milk taxi, which was purchased in 2020.

This piece of technology has the capacity to hold 150 litres of milk. The milk taxi has a water heater which is set on a timer to be at the right temperature when needed to make powdered milk for calves.

The technology dispenses the correct amount for each calf. Stewart believes this equipment has made feeding much easier, and also reduces the requirement for manual labour in the calf shed.

The Gracey family are members of a Business Development Group (BDG), which consists of approximately a dozen dairy farmers who meet at the end of each month to discuss differing farming techniques and ideas.

Unseen challenges  

“My biggest challenge to date was keeping the farm going on my own last winter. My dad had a bad fall down into the new slurry tank before the slats were put on top.”

“He broke his leg badly and was out of action from the end of October until well into the new year. The whole family had to help out during this time.”

In turn, Stewart expresses his frustration at the excelling price of fertiliser, which has hit many farmers across the nation.

“We have sown the same amount of fertiliser as normal this year to keep the grass growing, so although the price has rocketed, we are not prepared to use less. We depend on milk prices to stay up to pay for it.”

“The thing I like most about dairy farming is spending lots of time outside. I enjoy working with animals and watching the next generation of heifers coming on each year.”

“My short terms plans are to get the new shed built on top of the tank. Moreover, my long-term plans involve increasing the herd to around 140-head and shortening the calving season to have calving commencing in September and finishing in the new year.”

Progress

Stewart left school at the young age of 16-years-old and has been working full-time as a dairy farmer since.

“I can say that I really cannot imagine doing anything else with my life. Although it is a lot of hard work and very long hours, it is rewarding.”

“I married my wife, Hannah, seven years ago, and we now have a house on the farm where we live with our two children, Bobby, aged 3, and Leah, aged 1.”

“Bobby is following in my footsteps with his love for being out on the farm, and Leah gets very excited when she sees a tractor.”

He concludes, “I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for the farm”.

Source: thatsfarming.com

As a growing number of dairy farmers turn to DNA testing to improve their herds, Canterbury’s Julie Bradshaw​ is already reaping the rewards of her investment.

Cow numbers have come under pressure in recent years as a result of tighter regulations and a cultural shift by farmers towards being environmentally sustainable.

As a result, more farmers are using genetics and DNA testing to breed better cows, rather than build bigger herds.

Bradshaw was an early adopter of the technology and has already made significant improvements to her herd.

It now sits in the top 5% of Canterbury herds for production worth (an estimate of a cow’s lifetime milk production ability) and breeding worth (the index used to rank cows and bulls on their expected ability to breed profitable, efficient offspring).

On a national level, the herd is just outside the top 5% and Bradshaw said the numbers proved her investment in genetics had helped ensure she had the best cows.

Next mating season, four of her cows will be mated to bulls specifically selected by livestock genetics company LIC as part of its breeding programme.

The cows were chosen based on their DNA profiles, with LIC looking at their mothers and analysing their production during the selection process.

The bulls will be selected for genetic traits which will complement the cows’, with the aim being to improve the overall genetic profile of the herd.

“Once they have calved, if it is a bull calf then they will genetically test it to determine if it meets the criteria for LIC’s breeding programme,” the Fernside farmer said.

“DNA testing the calves shows which genes it has inherited from its parents, and then they can analyse how well it will perform in the future.”

In the 20 years since Bradshaw first became interested in genetics, technology has become far more precise, and the improvements are providing economic benefits, she said.

“DNA testing is a vital part of our farming operation now, and I am glad we started when we did because it has enabled us to have the best herd we can, which is based on science and facts.

“With possible reductions in animal numbers in the future, you want to be as accurate as possible. We have all our DNA data for the herd, and it really is the best it has ever been.”

While farmers did their best to record accurate calving data, the stress of the calving period meant records were never perfect, Bradshaw said.

“If you are relying on your own calving records, they are generally only about 65% to 70 % accurate compared to DNA testing.

“If you use your own records, you are keeping animals that you think are going to be great, when you haven’t got the animal you think you have in terms of its value to the herd.”

DNA testing could eliminate those mistakes and help farmers avoid spending time and money on a calf that wasn’t going to be a good producer when it joined the milking herd.

Source: stuff.co.nz

A New York state dairy farm is leading a class-action lawsuit in federal court in Vermont against Dairy Farmers of America — the country’s largest dairy cooperative — arguing the organization has violated antitrust law and artificially lowered the price of raw milk. 

The lawsuit, filed July 29, claims Dairy Farmers of America has created a “monopsony,” which is defined as a market in which many sellers have only a single buyer, across the dairy industry in Vermont and 10 other states in the northeastern U.S. 

At issue, it says, is an “inherent conflict of interest” between two related segments of the cooperative’s business. 

Dairy Farmers of America is tasked with ensuring its members get the highest possible price for their milk, per the lawsuit. But farmers must sell their milk to processors, who use it to make other products, to make money. And the defendant argues that Dairy Farmers of America’s milk processing operations benefit from lower milk prices. 

As a result, S.R.J.F., Inc. of Stamford, New York — the lead defendant — alleges it, and the more than 3,000 other milk producers in the cooperative’s Northeast region, operate in a highly consolidated market that has led them to make less money than they otherwise would with greater market competition. 

“DFA structured its business to thrive in a low-price, high-supply raw milk environment  — exactly the kind of environment that benefits its processor holdings, at the expense of its member farmers’ milk checks,” the lawsuit says. 

In a statement, Kristen Coady, Dairy Farmers of America’s senior vice president of corporate affairs, called the allegations in the lawsuit “baseless,” saying the company has made strategic investments since its founding that benefit all of its members. 

“Any claim that a farmer-owned, farmer-governed cooperative is motivated to self-inflict damage on its member-owners is preposterous, irrational and blatantly inaccurate,” Coady said. 

The lawsuit claims Dairy Farmers of America’s holdings have become so extensive over the past six years that it has become difficult, if not impossible, for many independent farms or dairy cooperatives to be successful without joining Dairy Farmers of America’s network. 

The Kansas City-based cooperative has come to control as much as 60% of the Grade A milk market in the Northeast in that time, the lawsuit says. Nearly all milk produced in the U.S. is Grade A, meaning it is certified by the federal government for use in liquid products. Court documents also point to one estimate from June of this year that the cooperative controls 85% of the region’s fluid milk processing capacity. 

As such, the lawsuit estimates there are at least 7,000 possible defendants for the class-action lawsuit: anyone who has sold non-organic, Grade A milk since May 10, 2016, in the cooperative’s northeast region of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and most of Pennsylvania. 

The lawsuit also points to multiple past acquisitions and mergers involving Dairy Farmers of America — including its merger with the St. Albans Cooperative Creamery in 2019 — as evidence of the organization’s efforts to eliminate competition at the expense of smaller entities in the region. 

Members of the 100-year-old cooperative in Franklin County voted overwhelmingly to become part of Dairy Farmers of America, though the lawsuit says some members saw little choice because the St. Albans organization was staring down bankruptcy. 

The defendants cited the St. Albans merger as a reason why they filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Vermont. 

“Like the arsonist taking credit for putting out the fire, DFA has sought to spin its actions as saving or stabilizing the Northeast Dairy Market it was hellbent on bleeding to death,” the lawsuit said. 

The lawsuit stretches back to May 10, 2016, because that’s one day after claims were last released in a previous lawsuit— Allen v. Dairy Farmers of America — in which the cooperative settled for $50 million, some of which went to dairy farmers in Vermont, according to court documents. 

That class-action case, filed in 2009, alleged Dairy Farmers of America had conspired to become the sole seller of Grade A milk in the Northeast. The cooperative, according to the lawsuit, was not member-focused and forced small farmers to join in order to avoid market pressures that would put them out of business.

Dairy Farmers of America has also been involved in multiple previous lawsuits, according to the July 29 complaint. 

The most recent case seeks damages for Northeast dairy farmers “to the maximum extent allowed” under the federal government’s 1890 Sherman Antitrust Act, which, it alleges, Dairy Farmers of America has violated in multiple ways. 

It also notes that while Dairy Farmers of America has gained market share in recent years, the number of dairy farms has decreased and output on remaining farms has gone up. 

It cites data from Vermont showing a 37% decline in the total number of operating dairy farms in the 10 years preceding 2020, but a 30% increase in herd size per remaining farm. In 2020, about 40 dairy farms closed in the state, the lawsuit says. 

The Burlington-based attorneys representing the defendants could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Source: vtdigger.org

European milk production declined 1.4% year-over-year in June as heat waves weighed on cow comfort and component levels. Though temperatures are expected to ease in the coming months, milk flows will remain under pressure amid tightening environmental regulations. In the latest episode of The Dairy Download, we speak with two guests keeping an eye on Europe’s output obstacles.

First up is Jukka Likitalo, Secretary General with Eucolait. He tells us how the European Commission’s Farm to Fork Strategy is impacting the region’s production. He also gives insight on other factors crimping output, from structural issues to supply chain and labor challenges.

Next, we talk with Paula O’Dwyer, Senior Business Intelligence Manager for Glanbia Ireland. She sheds light on trends in Irish milk production and the broader European market. And she discusses the impact of higher prices on the region’s dairy demand.

Play Episode

The States said the dairy farming industry was facing a crisis which could see some remaining farms forced to close.

Emergency support will be provided to Guernsey’s dairy farming industry, it has been announced.

‘On the brink’

“I love what I get to do,” said Natasha Stein Sutherland of Stein Farms in LeRoy, N.Y., in the latest episode of ADA North East’s “This American Dairy Farmer.”

Sutherland is the herd manager of the farm started by her grandfather in 1956, after spending seven years managing dairy herds in New Zealand.

The series was developed to offer consumers a behind-the-scenes look at dairy farms and the families who operated them, while helping make a personal connection with those who produce their food. The series that has garnered more than 1.5 million views since launching during the pandemic.

Watch the episode

Northern Missouri has received plenty of rain, and dairy producers there are hopeful about making a silage pile, while those in the state’s southern counties are looking at options as drought conditions and oppressive heat have taken hold.

“There’s a lot to consider as a dairy farmer during times of high heat and little rain,” said Scott Poock, University of Missouri associate extension professor of veterinary medicine. “The heat affects the animals, while the drought conditions can lead to issues with forage for feed. Careful management is key.”

Heat stress on dairy cows decreases milk production, fertility, feed intake, and fat and protein in the milk. It increases respiration, lameness and somatic cell counts. The higher the SCC, the more likely a cow has an infection.

Abatement strategies include use of sprinklers, fans and shade. Additional tips to consider:

• The holding pen will be the site of the greatest heat stress because the cows will be very close together, making it the most important place to have sprinklers and fans. Fans and sprinklers in free stall pens are also useful.

• Sprinklers should have large droplets so cows are soaked to the skin to allow for evaporative cooling.

• Provide shade for cows on pasture. Shades should be placed north to south, which allows the shade to move throughout the day and decrease the creation of a “mud hole.”

Management tools to consider while drafting the herd’s 2022-23 feed inventory plan:

For corn silage, determine when to chop by whole plant dry matter. The target DM is 30%-35% for bunkers, 32%-37% for conventional tower silos, 40%-45% for limited-oxygen silos and 35% for silo bags.

While baling failed corn prevents the expense and logistics of hiring a chopper, the cost to produce a bale of corn silage is often far greater per ton due to wrapping costs and waste. Bale waste can be decreased when using a “crop cutting” baler with knives. Standard balers will ferment correctly if the moisture is within normal parameters.

Chop height can manipulate fiber digestibility and nitrate concentration. Call your county extension center to test the stalk for nitrate prior to harvest.

Nitrates are highest in the lowest 12 to 18 inches. A portion of nitrate will dissipate during ensiling—up to a 50% decline. But if ensiled high, it will likely remain “high” even after dissipating half. Be aware of prussic acid as well.

For more information, the MU Extension publication “Nitrate Problems in Livestock Feed and Water” is available for free download at extension.missouri.edu/g9800.

When feeding total mixed ration, straw can be used to extend forage inventory. Work with a nutritionist to make sure the ration meets the needs of your herd.

Supplementing additional grain helps dilute higher nitrates in forages. But too much grain could cause a decrease in fat and protein seen during heat stress. Ultimately, depending on severity, some producers should consider culling to help manage the forage inventory. Reproduction is impaired by heat. Take time to identify those open, long days in milk cows for ideal culling candidates.

Source: hpj.com

Michigan State University is planning to make some big changes to its greenhouses and Cattle Research Center, which are both more than 40 years old. The state of Michigan is giving the university over $53 million to help renovate the buildings. This is all part of the 2023 budget Governor Whitmer signed into law.

Dairy is the leading contributor to the agricultural economy in Michigan, and experts told News 10 that this investment for MSU will benefit farms across the state.

“The more milk we produce and the more we meet that demand, actually, it lessens the cost to the producer. The more efficient we are, the cheaper we can deliver a high quality product to our consumers,” said Doug Chapin, dairy farmer and Chairman of the Board for Michigan Milk Producers.

Chapin also runs a farm with about 700 Holstein cows in Mecosta County. Chapin said dairy farmers across the state are struggling — they’re paid for the milk they produce but, production has been low, that means profits are low too.

“But our farm could definitely benefit by having the right support staff to work with and that is both nutrition, veterinary, animal health and animal care. All of those specifics that the university will help train for us to have those specialists,” said Chapin.

Chapin said the updates to the university’s dairy facility will help farmers across Michigan work with changes in feed or environmental regulations. The MSU Dairy Farm told News 10 that the big focus is helping dairy products become more competitive in new areas. One example, anaerobic digestion which converts manure into methane, or electricity.

“Development of technologies that will allow dairy producers to pull nutrients out of manure. Those nutrients that are analogous to commercial fertilizers,” said George Smith, Director of MSU AgBioResearch and Senior Associate Dean for Research.

Smith said the MSU Dairy Farm was built in the 1960s and right now, there isn’t enough space, cattle, or research being done to support the dairy production in Michigan. Smith said the state funding will change that.

MSU Diary Farm herd consists of 200 Holstein cows ranging from ages 2 to 12. Their milk is sold through the Michigan Milk Producers Association.

Source: wilx.com

The European Milk Board says many milk producers have gone out of business, because they couldn’t even cover their costs of production in recent years.

Now, as the EU milk supply shrinks, despite record high milk prices at the farm gate, it may be too late to stem the flow of farmers getting out of milk.

Jeff and Alta Mae Core, Salvisa, Ky., received the Master Breeder Award given by the American Jersey Cattle Association in ceremonies June 25, 2022, during the association’s 154th Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon.

The Master Breeder Award is presented to an AJCA member, family, partnership or corporation that has bred outstanding animals for many years and thereby made a notable contribution to the advancement of the Jersey breed in the United States.

Since 1980, Jeff and Alta Mae Core have been breeding award-winning Jerseys. They have bred 238 cows appraised Excellent-90% or higher. The highest being, KCJF Regency Treasure, Excellent-97%, just one of seven in breed history to receive this honor. “Treasure” is sired by both a Keightley-Core bred dam and sire, Renaissance Kims Regency.

Many of their best performers include a sprinkling of KCJF sires on both the top and bottom sides of the pedigree. Among the cows who can be found in the lineage of much of the herd today is the early influencer, K.J.F. Amandas Mercury Mandy, Excellent-93%. Her son, Mandys Patrick Rex, born in May 1987, was the first bull bred and sampled by the Cores. He has 137 daughters in his proof, including Rexs Patrick Kim, Excellent-94%, an All American honoree with nine complete lactations, and the dam of four-time All American Junior Show Champion, KJF Renaissance Lacy {6}, Excellent-96%.

Another family of impact is the “Molly” cow family, which began with KJF Responses Molly, Excellent-91. Her daughter, KCJF Sambo Molly, Excellent-94%, was Intermediate Champion of The All American Jersey Show in 2006 and topped the National Jersey Jug Futurity two years later. She has two records over 22,000 lbs. milk. Her sons, KCJF Mollys Ren Motion and KCJF One in a Million, have sired numerous blue-ribbon winners for the Cores and other breeders. Her grandson, KCJF Hired Magician, is in the Showcase Selections lineup at Select Sires Inc. “Magician” is out of KCJF Mollys Regency Martini-ET, Excellent-95%, a paternal sister to “Treasure” and winner of the 2013 Bert Smith Leas Memorial Award for best bred and owned animal in the national futurity.

Keightley-Core Jerseys have been named Premier Breeder seven times and Premier Exhibitor twice at the National All-American Jersey Show. Additionally, they have bred one national champion, have exhibited the national champion three times, exhibited the Genomic Jersey Performance Grand Champion in 2020 and 2021, bred three National Jersey Jug Futurity winners, and won the 2021 Leading Lifetime Production Award.

In addition to their show ring success, their herd ranks at the top of the breed for production. In 2021, their herd had a lactation average of 18,238 lbs. milk, 928 lbs. fat, and 683 lbs. protein on 60 lactations. The herd has ranked as high as fifth for protein and eighth for fat among herds with 40-70 lactations in the past.

The Cores have been active with the Kentucky Jersey Cattle Club and the Kentucky National Show and Sale. Alta Mae served on the Kentucky Fair Council and retired from the Kentucky Department of Revenue, in 2008, after 30 years of service. The Cores are both active cattle judges, having worked cattle shows in the United States and internationally. Alta Mae has served as a judge in Argentina, Brazil, Coasts Rica, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, as well as at the Royal Agricultural Fain in Toronto, Canada, and International Dairy Week, Australia. The couple have both won the Klussendorf Trophy, an award given for ability, character, friendliness and outstanding showmanship at the World Dairy Expo.

The American Jersey Cattle Association was organized in 1868 to improve and promote the Jersey breed. Since 1957, National All-Jersey Inc. has served Jersey owners by promoting the increased production and sale of Jersey milk and milk products. For more information on its programs and services, visit www.USJersey.com or call 614/861-3636.