Dairy Farmer articles from August 2002

Dairy Farmer archives from August 2002

COMMENT: Time to end this pricing nonsense!(milk market share competition)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Last month we thought we saw a light at the end of the pitchblack milk tunnel. We did. Unfortunately it was three price-busting trains going hell for leather. It just shows how wrong you can be! Or does it? We still believe the fundamentals...

Breakthrough in dry cow therapy.(Pfizer UK introduces Orbeseal the in-teat plug)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... What is claimed to be the biggest breakthrough in dry cow therapy comes this week with Pfizer's UK launch of their in-teat plug Orbeseal. The inert bismuth paste is infused into the teat canal at drying off and acts as a physical barrier...

NZ moves into organic cheese.(Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd. in New Zealand)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... It may be only the most modest of starts, but the New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra has taken the first tentative steps into the organic sector. While the European market is mainly for fresh liquid milk, competition from New Zealand in the...

Israeli first.(Tara Dairies introduces first alcoholic dairy beverage)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... An Israeli company has announced that it is to market the world's first alcoholic dairy product - a flavoured milk drink with 2 per cent alcohol targeted at 18 to 24 year olds. The company, Tara Dairies, says the drinks will come in three...

German UHT on prison cornflakes.(ultra high temperature milk)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... One Romney Marsh producer is understandably hopping mad at discovering that his local prison not only uses UHT milk but to add insult to injury imports it from abroad. Enquiries at the Home Office confirm that this is indeed the case and...

Price cuts are not justified by true market.(National Farmers' Union recommends action for milk prices)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Dairy industry sources in Northern Ireland say they back the views of the NFU that recent pressure on milk prices in England does not reflect true market conditions. In recent weeks prices paid by processors in Ulster have increased by...

Heads down to `Bag' your Place.(advertisement)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Calf rearing en masse? This NZ designed feeder has just been launched in the UK and caters for up to 50 calves at a time, although it is available in more modest configurations with one, five or ten teats. Key feature according to the...

French will not be easily moved.(common agricultural policy comparison with the United Kingdom)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... After a recent stay on a French farm, John Trunch ruminates on the thorny subject of CAP reform and the entirely different approach adopted by those across the Channel. I happened to bump into the manager of our supermarket the other day....

Lot to be said for local produce.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... The latest debacle over nitrofen-contaminated wheat raises the question of whether enough is being done to police these commodities in the world market and why there's a lot to be said for home production where there is at least some degree of...

Buffer feeding fails to hold yields.(economic and environmental aspects of dairy farming)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Scottish producer Donald McColm is thankful for the upturn in the weather as even he, on his light land, was getting fed up with the ruination of pastures and extra feeding that the continual downpours had necessitated. Some of my past...

`Domino' dairies should be paying 18ppl.(Interview)
August 9, 2002... Express Milk Partnership chairman Jonathan Ovens says he is "gobsmacked" by the latest round of price cuts and maintains the market could currently return 18ppl without too much difficulty. In a very forthright interview he gives us an insight...

US ups size.(United States Farm Bill)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Despite government efforts to protect the interest of small farmers through the new United States Farm Bill, industry analysts have forecast that the trend towards fewer and larger farms, and rationalisation in the processing sector, is...

Milk repairs teeth enamel.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... The dairy industry has battled for years to persuade children to swap carbonated drinks for milk - but now New Zealand researchers claim that drinking a glass of milk can repair much of the damage to tooth enamel caused by drinking a sugary...

Spring calving figures.(includes data for year 2002)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... Data published this week by NMR shows a 10 per cent increase in calvings between March and May this year compared with 2001. This is despite a slight decline in the number of recorded cows following the foot-and-mouth crisis last year. ...

Ready for quota change.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... The mid term review has settled the future of milk quotas until at least 2008 - but farm commissioner Franz Fischler has warned that politicians and farmers will have to make decisions on the future of the quota regime well before then. ...

Dairy units in decline.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... According to Hansard we may be getting first indications from the June census in terms of the number of dairy holdings. But only for England for some reason. The figures show a marked decline in the last five years from 18,000 to just over...

Cow aid to be decoupled.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... The European Commission has confirmed that the new dairy cow premium, due to be introduced in 2005 to compensate for cuts in intervention prices, will be subject to its plans to decouple aid from production. However, while quotas will go...

Exporting with strong euro.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... As the dairy management committee in Brussels struggles to maintain exports in the face of a euro rising against the US dollar and still weak commodity markets, the latest milk figures have confirmed the impact of rocketing production in the...

Race for quota deadline.(European Union)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... The European Commission has admitted countries planning to join the EU by 2004 will struggle to meet a deadline of the end of this year for having in place the administrative structures to implement milk quotas. Many had hoped that a move...

Price up 2.8p.(Irish Farmers Association)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... The Irish Farmers Association says dairy farm profits have fallen by 35 per cent so far this year, but milk prices look to be recovering at a supply and demand United Dairy Farmers auction in July. Prices were up by 2.8ppl on the June figure,...

Spiceman is tops.(a bull)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Newhouse Spiceman CV is currently number one in Holland on production index (INET) and on Durable Performance Sum (DPS). The bull ranks in the UK Top 10 with a #PLI of #95 and combines positive percentages with almost 59kg CFP. Spiceman is a...

Lord Lily sons set the pace.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Six years ago the Dutch Holstein breeding programme's new star, Etazon Lord Lily, made his debut at the show with a group of progeny test daughters and was universally panned by the experts. But Dutch farmers and many more round the world took...

Sinatra putting on the style.(the bull Silverpost Sinatra)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Of the nine first crop daughter groups shown, five of the bulls are on the market in the UK. Silverpost Sinatra currently ranks higher in Holland on type and production than his sire Lord Lily at the same stage in his career. The bull is...

Grandprix for herd durability.(the bull Himster Grandprix)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... The daughters of Himster Grandprix were less mature and needed another lactation to develop fully but just had the edge on udder traits compared to the Sinatra team. Grandprix is also a Lord Lily from a Mascot dam which showed through in the...

Hunter height.(a bull)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Hunter is also a Lord Lily from a Celsius and appears to be siring taller, more rangy cattle that need to develop more body depth but again with good udders and some set to the leg. Hunter has a #PLI of 75 and a Type Merit of +1.8. Also siring...

Iota is the grand champ.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Although the battle of the second crop sires was won by Lord Lily, the runner up in the contest, US bull Ked Juror, produced the Grand Champion from the show classes, Fior Juror Iota. Of particular interest to UK producers was the team of...

Jerom throws in splash of colour.
August 9, 2002... Of interest to red-and-white breeders is new sire Jerom, a son of Clara's Orkan out of an Aerostar dam. This group of second-calved daughters showed plenty of size, had very good udders and excellent legs and feet. In the UK Jerom converts to...

Dutch put more emphasis on longevity.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... Since their first appearance on the international market Dutch genetics have been synonymous with high component yields and functional type. Many observers have felt that the sharp focus on selection for production would compromise herdlife....

Trouble-free cows wanted.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... Producer emphasis on herdlife is also reflected in the breeding goals of the main AI co-op CR Delta VRV. The co-op joined forces with the Belgian co-op VRV in January and now tests 270 black-and-white and 60 red-and-white Holstein bulls a year....

Less heifers.(producers seek reduction in surpluses)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Top producer Jan van Veperen runs a herd of 400 cows with a 10,000 kg average in Friesland and is typical of the change in attitude among farmers. Swingeing pollution regulations mean that he and many other breeders want to keep less surplus...

Painkillers - latest answer to lameness?(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... Lameness impacts not only on an animal's welfare but also on its production. Now revolutionary new thinking is looking at whether analgesics have a role to play in aiding recovery from this painful and debilitating condition. Peter Hollinshead...

Design your bull - on line!(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... Milk yield and functional type remain the over-riding selection criteria for commercial producers when selecting AI sires, leaving other traits far behind. Angela Rhodes reports. According to analysis of results from Genus Breeding's...

Breeding by numbers?
August 9, 2002... Computer mating is becoming an increasingly popular option for large dairy units looking to simplify breeding decisions and make the most of their AI budget, but are they the answer to the busy herd owner's prayers or a clever marketing tool...

Fertility bonus of extra 1ppl.(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... Routine veterinary involvement in fertility management has been worth an extra 1ppl to Dorset producers Roger and David Yeoman. Angela Rhodes reports. Now in their third year of working with specialist cattle vet Mike Kerby, the Yeomans...

Synchronisation can help arrest slippage.
August 9, 2002... Slippage of seasonal calving patterns is causing many breeders to investigate whether they can overcome the effects of poor heat detection by using synchronisation techniques. Crewkerne vet Jonathan Reader takes us through the options. ...

Delayed conception cause for concern.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... Fertility results published by NMR for this spring show a significant increase in days from calving to first service and calving to conception, with a swing back to dairy breeding. According to NMR's Catherine Smith many farmers are making...

Dry cow role in hitting uberis.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... In this the first of their monthly reports, the National Animal Disease Information Service (NADIS) looks at Strep uberis, one of the major causes of persistently high somatic cell counts on many farms. Outbreaks of Strep uberis have been...

Non-producing quota holders set for squeeze.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Fears abound that non-producing quota holders may soon become an outlawed species according to the latest rumblings from Brussels... however broker Ian Potter thinks he may have a way round the obstacle. During everyone's life, they say,...

Letter: `Poodles' bite back in defence of milk report.(Letter to the Editor)
August 9, 2002... From: Prof David Colman, School of Economic Studies, University of Manchester, and Prof David Harvey, Department of Agricultural Economics and Food Marketing, University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Not surprisingly Ian Potter (DF June) is...

Letter: Banged up on German UHT!(Letter to the Editor)
August 9, 2002... From: Stephen Furnival, WS Furnival Ltd, Honeychild Manor Farm, Romney Marsh, Kent TN29 0DB. As a dairy farmer I am surprised and disappointed to learn that the inmates of Leysdown Prison, Sheppey, Kent, are being supplied with imported...

Letter: Calcium missing.(Letter to the Editor)
August 9, 2002... From: Robert Plumb, soil fertility specialist, Independent Soil Services, Gayton, King's Lynn, Norfolk PE32 1PJ. Re DF of June and John Hollies' letter. As soil fertility specialists we have found many dairy farms where potassium levels are...

Lungworm sneaking in!(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Changes in management practice and increased stock movement means a growing number of in-calf and lactating heifers are at risk from lungworm-related respiratory diseases. Cattle vet Richard Murray feels high risk farms should consider a return...

Worming strategies.(Intervet's Huskvac lungworm vaccination details)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... LUNGWORM vaccine is currently marketed as Huskvac and is given in two doses one month apart prior to turnout. Manufacturer Intervet has incorporated a Lungworm Risk Calculator into its website www.huskvac.co.uk. This takes into account the...

Fear of cell counts rising.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... To all those who filled in our recent survey a big thank you and the Dairy Event tickets should be wending their way to lucky winners. As promised there follows a full analysis of the more fascinating responses. Almost a third of...

Morning milking holds key to sleep.(Red Kite Farms product development)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Oxfordshire based Red Kite Farms has developed a bedtime milk which contains double the level of melatonin compared with traditional fresh milk. Melatonin is a naturally produced substance that helps people sleep at night by regulating their...

Cravendale gets massive #6m boost.(Arla Foods marketing details)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Arla Foods has put #6m behind a marketing campaign for its Cravendale fresh milk. This covers TV commercials, in-store sampling and on-pack promotions. The largest spend will go on coupons delivered directly to homes offering a total of 9...

Bill Oddie to breakfast.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Wildlife enthusiast Bill Oddie has lent his support to the White and Wild milk brand and will appear on bottle labels and on shelf promotions from August. "We have revamped our labels in response to customer comment," says Ken Whitley of...

Complex role of calcium in milk fever.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... In the first 24 hours post calving a cow can secrete 20g of calcium from a blood pool of only 3g, and the all important parathyroid gland hormone which attempts to maintain steady levels can have its corrective action impaired by excess...

Cost accounting from bottom up.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Instead of the conventional approach of seeing what the farm business has or has not done, one suggestion is to start at the other end and see what it needs to do to meet your objectives. Andrew Marlow of Kite Consulting tells us how we can...

Clamp rolling... with a tank?
August 9, 2002... This month Roger Evans gets down to the nitty gritty of life with his grandsons, outwits an unsuspecting wildlife officer and gets ready for his first alternative crop... thistles. To find out more... read on. A friend of mine was...