Dairy Farmer articles from December 2003

Dairy Farmer archives from December 2003

Commission set to face down MEPs over drugs.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Dairy farmers could soon be queuing up at their vets to buy everyday animal health products. This would be the outcome if the European Commission again faces down an amendment from the European Parliament opposing plans to make all veterinary...

COMMENT: Only half way there.(dairy firms)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Endless talks with retailers and long nights camped on processor doorsteps are at last beginning to show a return. After months of huffing and puffing, UK number one cheese maker Dairy Crest has finally conceded the full 2ppl on milk for...

West Country cheddar goes to town.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Fed up with their cheese being hijacked by European imports, West Country farmhouse cheddar cheesemakers made their objections known in London. Both cows and cheese made the journey from Somerset to London to put their farmhouse cheddar firmly...

FFA switches focus onto liquid market.(Farmers for Action)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Having secured a 2ppl price increase from leading processor Dairy Crest, Farmers for Action leader David Handley now plans to go for further improvements. His sights are firmly set on the liquid sector and the restoration of the price...

Dairy Farmer of the Future entry.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Calling all young dairy farmers. We are currently seeking entries for our Dairy Farmer of the Future 2004 award. Turn to page 18 to find out about this year's winner, Anglesey producer Trevor Lloyd. For details and application form please...

Wiseman profit up.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Robert Wiseman Dairies has announced an increase in pre-tax profits of almost 22% in the six months to September. Group sales have risen from #187.2m to #223m. The company has increased its earnings per litre milk sold by about 0.8ppl and has...

Joint deal on genetic front.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Following the conclusion of a lengthy tender process this autumn rumours abound that the MDC is planning to transfer its core genetic evaluation work to the Scottish Agricultural Colleges and Edinburgh University. According to industry...

Cheese price rise.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Mature cheddar prices have increased for the first time in over a year, according to MDC's Dairy Market Update. Although prices are low by historical standards they have moved by #100/t to #2200/t equivalent to an extra 1ppl. Copyright:...

Bibby brand sold.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Feed firm ABNA has sold its ruminant compound business to Lancashire company W& J Pye Ltd. The transaction includes all associated sales, customer services and operations staff as well as the Bibby brand name. The company will be called Pye...

Touch of brakes needed to steady supplies.(milk production)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Producers are being urged to rein in production now to prevent the country going over quota and to even out supply in the last few months of the quota year. Both DIAL and the First Milk group are warning that farmers should not be pulling...

Market probe.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... MPs are to examine the milk market in the UK. The investigation by the House of Commons agriculture select committee, to begin early next year, was triggered by the Farmers for Action protests. The core issue will be why recent rises in milk...

Cowmen comment: Beware - it's becoming a hard hat area for Mr Mole!
December 22, 2003... Stand well clear. Cast aside those smoke bombs, traps and any old- fashioned ideas of peeing into molie's little run as John Trunch has finally discovered what seems the ultimate weapon in his life-long search to control this persistent pest....

Call valuer as soon as you can!(dairy firms)
December 22, 2003... Defra's latest proposals are to compensate compulsorily destroyed stock on strict commercial values only, so Pat Bird strongly advises that you get your valuer in pronto. After registering some heifer calves, I was surfing the HUK web site...

More producer pressure needed to sustain milk price in 2004.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... With his heifers enjoying a late season grass bite and cows milking well in spite of a whole crop hiccup, Donald MColm, reflects on a year where the pleasure of a job well done has been soured by the struggle to secure a decent milk price. ...

EU News: No organic growth for French producers.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... The French dairy organisation Onilait has confirmed that organic dairy farmers there are facing familiar problems. Forecasts of a massive growth in the market have failed to materialise and, instead, farmers are struggling with the consequences...

EU News: German prediction on commodity demand.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... German analysts have delivered a welcome Christmas boost for dairy farmers - the prospect of better global commodity markets in 2004. The forecast from the ZMP agency is for stronger demand and a small reduction in production in both the EU and...

EU News: Italian street protests over fines.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Despite the deal in Brussels allowing the Italian government to give farmers long-term loans to meet outstanding superlevy payments, street protests by dairy farmers have continued. Large numbers are still refusing to pay fines for the...

EU News: Eastern Europe plans to butter up global market.(European Union)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... With just five months to go until EU enlargement becomes a reality, concern is growing that some of the 10 new member states are already planning to exploit dairy subsidies. This is upsetting market balance and could lead to further market...

EU News: On-line service brings price transparency.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Belgian farmers are now able to use the Internet to access detailed information on milk prices paid by all major milk buyers. This follows claims that the system lacked transparency, since farmers were unable to use published information to...

POTTER'S VIEW: Time for milk watchdog with real teeth.(national farmers union)
December 22, 2003... Fed up with the "smoke and mirrors tactics" of milk pricing, Ian Potter calls for an independent watchdog to bring some transparency to the market. Do you want some sound advice about quota? Then read no more. And forget talking to your...

BREEDING: Synchro solution to poor pregnancy rates.
December 22, 2003... Basil Lowman is well known for his beef work - so milk producers may well wonder what on earth it has got to do with them. Dr Lowman now claims to have evolved a breeding programme for suckler herds which could have an application in today's...

BREEDING: Bulls for low cost systems.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Research in the UK and Ireland has shown that Holstein bulls selected for sound functional type and less extreme dairy traits can perform well in extended grazing and lower cost systems. In previous issues we have looked at the traits which low...

Avoncroft's new signing.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... The latest proven sire to join the Avoncroft line-up is the calving ease bull Grand-Dell Winch Lou. Proven in the US, Lou is a son of Ladys- Manor Winchester out of a Luke dam and, in spite of having a relatively high milk low component...

INTERVIEW: Why I am investing for the future!(Interview)
December 22, 2003... Trevor Lloyd farms the 300-acre family farm on the west coast of Anglesey with 180 pedigree Holsteins. But Trevor is no ordinary farmer - in fact he is the reigning Dairy Farmer of the Future. Peter Hollinshead went along to find out how he...

WINTER FEEDING: Intake to keep yields and health on track.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... High yielding cows and racing cars have a lot in common. They are both capable of high performance but they need the right fuel, the right back-up and skilled handling to keep them on the track. Angela Rhodes finds out how an integrated health...

WINTER FEEDING: DIY is sneaking into mixer wagon market.(Do it yourself Network)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... With average herd size on the increase, it is clear that single vertical auger machines are slowly giving way to twin auger machines offering huge mixing capacities. Steven Vale looks at the latest developments. Milk producers will soon be...

Winter feeding: Bigger version.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Harry West is launching a 17cu m single paddle diet feeder to support the current 14cu m version. The company also reports changes to the imported Italian-made Seko machines with bolted construction giving way to a welded design. Capacities are...

Winter feeding: Longer.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... A highlight on the Faresin stand at the Italian EIMA show was a Leader Double mixer wagon. By stretching the tank body (machine is almost 10m long!), the company has kept the height and width of the 18cu m model to just 2.51 and 2.35m. Prices...

Winter feeding: Tub extension available.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... A hydraulically operated tub extension is available on all single and twin vertical auger mixer wagons from K and K Whistance. This increases the capacity of the twin auger 20 and 30cu m machines to 28 and 38cu m respectively, allowing the...

Winter feeding: Straw bedding.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... The Strautmann Verti-Mix range of mixer wagons is now available with a straw bedding option which enables it to be used for chopping and spreading round and square straw bales. Available on all Verti-Mix models up to 28cu m, spreading distances...

Winter feeding: Self-propelled diet feeders.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Tatoma's range of vertical and horizontal diet feeders has been extended with a range of self-propelled units Beta degrees from 5 to 20cu m. The front-mounted, hydraulically driven chopping/milling arm is fully adjustable and is designed...

WINTER FEEDING: High fibre forage warning.
December 22, 2003... Two of the country's leading biotech firms are warning of potential problems with higher fibre grass and maize silages which may be reducing the nutrient density of rations for higher yielding herds. Angela Rhodes reports. An early growing...

WINTER FEEDING: Picking your way through silage analyses.(feeding cows)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... The introduction of the Feed into Milk system has meant a whole new set of terms appearing on silage forms. ADAS nutritionist Chris Savery helps us through them. The Feed into Milk project has greatly improved our understanding of the...

Winter feeding: US secret for achieving higher feed efficiencies.(United States)
December 22, 2003... The US is widely regarded as the home of TMR so you would think that American farmers have little to learn about complete diet feeding. Angela Rhodes finds out why US producers are now looking to this side of the Atlantic to improve feed...

Sport for all.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... The MDC is in the final stages of awarding a contract for its Milk and Sports Nutrition project. "We want to identify opportunities for milk in sports nutrition," says MDC technical manager Brian Lindsay. "We will be researching the...

Stilton goes `a bit blue'.(Stilton Cheesemakers' Association marketing)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... As Stilton, the famous festive cheese, gears up for a bumper Christmas, with strong orders in place and good cheese in stock, its promoter has launched a PR campaign to encourage wider use of the cheese throughout the whole year. The...

Yoghurt - or a mild alternative?(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... A European Commission document suggesting additional rules on the naming of yogurts is stirring up a storm in the UK industry. Among other things, the Commission is proposing that only desserts made with a traditional type of bitter tasting...

Festive cheer from cheesemakers.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Fifty British cheeses, donated by 31 cheese makers, were presented to the Chelsea Pensioners at this year's traditional Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses. Organised by the Dairy Council, cheeses came to London from across the country as...

Awards give dairy products pat on the back.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Rachel's Organic's close working relationship with milk co-operative Calon Wen has earned the company the True Taste of Wales Silver Award. Over the past three years the two parties have worked closely together to ensure a continued improvement...

GOOD EVANS: Lose weight with the help of a little parallax.(dairy farms)
December 22, 2003... Despite coping with the relentless Matbro jokes, calving down the new heifers and dreaming up the first page of his next book, two questions do however remain hanging. How easy is it to work up a bad mood for Christmas and just how far can...