Dairy Farmer articles from April 2005

Dairy Farmer archives from April 2005

COMMENT: Same again, please.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... At long last we may be seeing a much needed glimmer at the end of this dismal pricing tunnel: well done to all those who secured the 2p retail price increase. Perhaps the most surprising thing in the cut throat world of supermarket...

Crack down on hemp.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Authorities in Switzerland have cracked down on farmers feeding hemp to dairy cows, claiming this brings a risk of cannabis finding its way into dairy products. This seems far fetched given that those in the know say you would have to...

Big push to get cheese to follow lead of fresh milk.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Fresh from their success in increasing milk prices in two of the main retailers - Tesco and ASDA - farming leaders face an uphill battle to secure the same rises from other retailers, particularly the cheese and long life (UHT) milk sectors....

Holstein show.
April 7, 2005... Don't forget, the National Holstein Show this year will be at the Stafford Showground, Bingley Hall, on April 13, when over 300 of the UK's elite bovine beauties will be stepping out in front of top international Judge Martin from Quebec,...

Strategy for reducing salt in cheese.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Dairy UK's strategy to reduce the amount of salt in cheese has been given the green light by both Food Standards Agency chairman Sir John Krebs and Minister for Public Health Melanie Johnson. Dairy UK has committed to reduce the salt...

News in brief: UK dairy trade deficit.
April 7, 2005... The UK dairy trade deficit grew to a record #744m last year in spite of a 40% drop in actual volume terms to just under 160,000 tonnes. This means the value per tonne of UK exports is significantly below the value of the imported products....

Post OTMS assurance.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Dairy farmers wanting to sell post OTMS cull cows to be marketed under the Little Red Tractor logo will not necessarily need a second assurance visit, according to Derek Kennedy at NDFAS. Most milk buyers use one of the four independent...

The Dutch are back.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... After a few quiet proof runs in Holland the Dutch are back with a bang with the release of Delta Canvas, the highest component and #PLI sire now available in the UK. Marketed here by Avoncroft Genetics, Canvas is a red factor Delta Sparta son...

News in brief: Welsh cheeses success.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Dairy Farmers of Britain's Welsh cheeses proved a resounding success at the recent World Cheese Awards. Cadog Mature Cheddar was awarded Gold and presented with the Ilchester trophy. In addition, Gold was awarded to Cadog Medium Cheddar and a...

News in brief: Charlotte the cow CD.
April 7, 2005... Many of you who wanted to get hold of the MDC's Charlotte the cow CD would have been disappointed as we were supplied with the incorrect number for contact details. Sorry about that. The MDC has since supplied the correct number for the...

Organic milk supply looking to fall short.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Organic milk co-op OMSCo is warning of imminent shortages as increased demand in recent months outstrips supply. But without an immediate 3ppl lift in farm gate prices to cover increased costs of production, organic milk supplies will be tight,...

Selkley Vale contract under notice.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Members of Selkley Vale Milk (the only Dairy Crest supply group still remaining outside Dairy Crest Direct, with around 80 members supplying 79ml of milk) have had 6 months notice served on their existing supply contract by Dairy Crest with the...

Ploughed up in just under 5mins per ha.
April 7, 2005... The world ploughing record has been well and truly smashed by Case IH and its Steiger STX500 Quadtrac tractor. The 500hp machine ploughed 321ha in just 24 hours, beating the previous 2002 record by 70ha. To successfully break the record, a...

COWMAN COMMENT: Mr Bradshaw says there is no quick fix!
April 7, 2005... With Defra's current strategy for inaction, John Trunch predicts half the farms around him will be infected with TB in the next two years, and perhaps it's time to think what damage the disease is wreaking in the badger population itself. ...

Cowmen comment: Yet again Defra fails in grasping TB nettle.(Tuberculosis)
April 7, 2005... Despite her best efforts our south-west correspondent Pat Bird fails to find anything of much value in the latest TB strategy document but sadly sees it as yet another missed opportunity to start to bring the scourge to heel. Writing this...

Cowman comment: It's time co-ops started to show some backbone.
April 7, 2005... The idea of producers working together through co-operatives may be the compelling attraction to membership, but as our south-west Scottish correspondent Donald McColm tells us the co-ops need to start showing some mettle if they are not to be...

Will you still be able to have an informed chat with your vet?(National Office of Animal Health)(Interview)
April 7, 2005... INTERVIEW: Phil Sketchley If the draft proposals coming out of the EU to reclassify veterinary medicines are accepted in the UK it will have far reaching consequences for dairy farmers. Peter Hollinshead talks to Phil Sketchley, chief...

Call to action.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Quality milk production means keeping cows fit and healthy and demands a good knowledge of what veterinary medicines are available to prevent and treat the panoply of diseases to which cattle are prone. The danger now is that information on...

Potter's View: Hot response to challenge over payment.
April 7, 2005... Since lighting the blue touch paper over the possible legal challenge to Defra's SFP and raising the question as to who should spearhead the attack, Ian Potter's inbox has positively glowed. Trouble is he's still pulling more fireworks out of...

EU NEWS: Price pressure grows.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Concerns are continuing to grow that the European Commission wants to drive milk prices downwards between now and July. Through the dairy management committee it recently cut export refunds for cheese and casein, blaming this on the fact that...

EU NEWS: Adding value is only way to survive claims Danish dairyman.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... A leading figure in the Danish dairy industry has warned that adding value will be the price of survival for the industry in Europe. Speaking in London, at Agra Europe's Outlook Conference, Keld Rasmussen of the Danish Dairy Board said farmers...

EU NEWS: Battle to reduce payments.(European Union)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... The one per cent club is a new name - but if its members have their way they could seriously undermine the value of all single farm payments after 2007. The club was given its name by farm commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel because its members...

EU NEWS: Feta cheese case continues.(protected designation of origin)(European)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Denmark and Germany have joined forces to challenge the right of the European Commission to grant Greece sole rights to the term feta cheese. The case has now reached the European Court and a final judgement is expected by the end of the year....

EU NEWS: EC survey shows two-thirds in favour of CAP changes.(European Commission)(common agricultural policy)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... The European Commission is claiming that two thirds of people support the changes to the CAP. This figure emerged from a Eurobarometer survey across all 25 member states. This showed support for the move to direct payments and a refocusing of...

BREEDING: Top type duo fight off chart challenge.
April 7, 2005... The February sire proof run is normally a quiet time for new proven sires but recently many of the AI companies have been restocking with some interesting new type and production bulls. Angela Rhodes takes a look at the pick of the new releases...

Breeding: Top 10 Sires Ranked on Type Merit.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
April 7, 2005... Top 10 Sires Ranked on Type Merit (Source Holstein UK, February 2005) Bull #PLI Udder Feet/ Type Supplier Legs Merit Picston Shottle 87 3.39...

Dairying set to face hard time over water directive.
April 7, 2005... As well as discussing all the weighty issues facing the dairy industry, this year's RABDF conference also found time to venture into other matters like those environmental aspects that will be impinging further on us shortly. David Matthews...

Getting price right is the first priority.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... For David Handley, DEFRA could have all the environmental improvements it wanted provided the Farm Gate Price (FGP) was right. If that was right then everything else would fall into place. "We could do all of the things on nitrates or cross...

Selling benefits to the taxpayer.(cross compliance)
April 7, 2005... While there was much to worry about on the environmental front, there should be little for dairy farmers to worry about on cross compliance. That was the conclusion of three farmers presenting their views on the subject. "I don't think...

Open volume contracts bring about inefficiency.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Adding value to milk contracts will help to alleviate pressures on both producers and primary buyers, claimed Dairy Crest's commercial director Mark Taylor. Current contracts have evolved over a number of years and have little direct link...

HEALTH: How cystic cows reflect underlying problems.
April 7, 2005... Cystic cow numbers are increasing with up to 10 per cent of cows affected in some surveys. Geoff King caught up with south-west vet Paddy Gordon on a Somerset farm open day. According to herd fertility and nutrition vet Paddy Gordon, cystic...

HEALTH: How to avoid butterfat drops at spring turnout.
April 7, 2005... Spring grass is a high value feed which many producers could be making better use of by more balanced supplementary feeding. Angela Rhodes finds out how holding the cake after turnout could improve cow health and feed efficiency. Most...

HEALTH: Strep uberis: can it be brought to heel?
April 7, 2005... Strep uberis remains one of the most common causes of both clinical and subclinical mastitis in UK dairy herds. Angela Rhodes finds out how to tackle the problem from specialist cattle vet Andy Biggs. Number 50 calved in a fortnight ago,...

ADVICE: Spend #9 to earn #100.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Kemira GrowHow Adviser Mark Garrett says that basic soil analysis should be the first step on every farm. If you could earn #100 an acre by spending just #9 would you? Many farmers consider soil analysis a cost they can do without. But,...

HEALTH: Topical tips to tackle turnout tenderness.
April 7, 2005... Spring turnout after a long winter on concrete invariably comes as a great relief to staff and cows alike, but are yours ready for the great escape to grass? Angela Rhodes gets some topical turnout tips on helping cows put their best foot...

HEALTH: Johnes may be lurking in your herd.
April 7, 2005... Often the first signs of Johnes disease in the herd are loose, frothy dung pats, but the problem needs a pre-determined plan if it is to be brought under control. Gloucestershire vet Chris Watson of the Wood Veterinary Group suggests one such...

HEALTH: Does potash play a part in the incidence of staggers?
April 7, 2005... There is a long held belief that grass staggers in cattle is linked to high potash fertiliser applications, but Prof Gordon Hemingway of the Glasgow Veterinary School contends that the evidence needs closer scrutiny. Early studies of...

HEALTH: No hiding place from BVD scourge.(Bovine Viral Diarrhoea)
April 7, 2005... According to the latest Intervet DairyCheck survey only 14% of herds are completely free from all traces of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea. Catherine Hughes takes us through the results. Bulk milk samples taken from 539 farms between April and...

Price lift for liquid but will cheese fall in line?
April 7, 2005... With the major retailers increasing the retail price of fresh liquid milk by 2p/pint from the beginning of this month, momentum for producer price increases now appears to be well under way. True to style, Robert Wiseman Dairies is the...

Barber cuts 0.5ppl off cheese milk.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Somerset Farmhouse cheesemaker, AJ & RG Barber, Shepton Mallet, has confirmed it is to cut its direct supply milk price by 0.5ppl from Apr'05. This is the first price move by the company for 18mths, after it increased the price by 0.6ppl from...

Claymore suppliers face reality after Asda bonus.(North Milk Co-op)(Associated Dairies (British Supermarket Chain))(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... North Milk Co-op producers supplying Arla Foods at Claymore Dairies have received the 0.5ppl Asda bonus from Feb 1, while at the same time receiving a 0.2ppl price cut reducing the net gain to 0.3ppl. Claymore's new price this month takes...

DEFRA price now 18.73ppl.(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs )(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... The DEFRA average UK farm gate milk price (with the monthly survey estimated to account for 99% of milk production) for Jan'05 was 18.73ppl, just 0.04ppl down on Jan'04 average of 18.77ppl. Although the Jan'05 price was 0.35ppl down on the...

Milk Link eases ahead of First Milk.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2005... Interesting to note that this month the rolling average price paid by Milk Link of 17.97ppl for our standard litre has managed to push it past the First Milk average of 17.93ppl as the co-ops battle it out. United Dairy Farmers cut its February...

GOOD EVANS: Just three wheels on my wagon.
April 7, 2005... Del boy? Surely not! Regular readers may think our intrepid hero has more than a passing fetish with tractors and the like, but it can now be revealed that his ingenuity knows no bounds and he has finally broken into the three wheeler market....

Entry Level Scheme: What you have to do to qualify for the ELS?(Entry Level Scheme)
April 13, 2005... Dairy farmers have been awaiting the launch of the Entry Level Scheme (ELS) as a means of securing reward for the effort put into conservation. FWAG's Midlands regional manager Chloe Palmer takes us through the options. The ELS has been...

COWMEN COMMENT: Going for more starch to help lift low protein.
April 13, 2005... Welsh dairy producer Roger Lewis runs a 190-cow autumn calving herd averaging 8700 litres in partnership with his parents at Poyerston Farm, Pembrokeshire, and is fully committed to a future in dairying. With `land of my fathers' ringing in...

COWMEN COMMENT: NZ approach is working up in Cumbria.
April 13, 2005... Robert Craig runs a 210-cow herd on 220 rolling acres in the upper Eden Valley in north-east Cumbria. He is a dedicated spring calver with cows out as early as possible, with the aim of getting 5800 litres off forage and 800kg cake. What a...

ADVICE: Make nitrogen pay its way.
April 13, 2005... Kemira GrowHow Adviser Howell Richards says that, to the crop nitrogen is like the petrol in a car engine. Within reason, it's not the price per gallon that matters but the miles per gallon achieved. Use nitrogen efficiently and it's still...

RATIONS: Selecting the right fat for the job.
April 13, 2005... Although it is clear that adding fat in one form or another to the herd's diet is a way of lifting ration density, care must be taken to ensure the right type is selected to achieve the desired ends. Chris Savery of The Dairy Group takes us...

FORAGE: Revival of forage wagons: are they set to make a comeback?
April 13, 2005... Round bale silage might have made huge inroads into the silage sector but there are still plenty of dairy farmers wanting to stick to clamp silage. If you are one of these, then the contractor is not necessarily your only option, writes Steven...

FORAGE: Carting distance is critical.(services of Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland)
April 13, 2005... One of the crucial factors in deciding on forage wagons is the distance the grass has to be hauled as a conventional system can simply put on more trailers. Despite this lack of flexibility, trial work at the Hillsborough-based Agricultural...

FORAGE: Latest developments in the market.(Strautmann UK)
April 13, 2005... Despite it being a relatively small market there is no shortage of new forage wagons for 2005. The first concerns Strautmann, and the fact that it is looking to strengthen its position in the forage wagon market since establishing an...

FORAGE: Suppliers of forage wagons.
April 13, 2005... The number of units sold each year might be small, but as the following guide highlights there is no shortage of suppliers. Note we have included two volume capacities for all the forage wagons listed. The first is the capacity after...

GOOD EVANS: And now it's Bakewell of the Borderlands.
April 13, 2005... Bakewell's ground-breaking experiments in breeding better cattle are set to pale into insignificance against the efforts of our very own gene blender, and now, Heaven forbid, he's been reading up on the Scandinavian Reds. Whatever next? ...