Dairy Farmer articles from December 2006

Dairy Farmer archives from December 2006

Companies file their results.(sales and earnings of dairy products industry)(Financial report)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... First Milk has reported a surplus on ordinary activities of #5.7m before tax, with net bank debt reducing by #13m. The revenue mix improved considerably, said the firm, with 83% of milk sold into higher value markets, which compared to 63% in...

COMMENT: Eggs today, milk tomorrow?(egg industry)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Anyone tuning into the radio over the past week or so may have picked up on three seemingly unrelated interviews. Firstly, that the UK will be importing milk in five years if the present industry exodus persists. That was the stark...

UK in danger of reaching tipping point.
December 18, 2006... The UK will be importing milk in five years' time if the present rate of decline persists, warned Sir Stuart Hampson this week. As chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose, Sir Stuart has spent the past year as chairman...

Conflicting survey results.(Survey)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... According to a RABDF survey at the Dairy Event this year, as many as 44% respondents indicated they planned to expand their herds during the next five years, while 36% intended to maintain the status quo. Less than 8% planned to quit or retire...

Britain set for saucy Christmas.(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Britons will consume a record amount of brandy sauces and luxury custards this Christmas, according to the UK's biggest supplier of them - Milk Link's Staplemead Creamery. Festive alcohol sauce production has more than doubled since last...

Register land to avoid possession disputes.(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Only about half the land in England and Wales is actually registered and guaranteed by the State, although much of this unregistered land is still farmed. As a result many producers are leaving themselves open to adverse possession claims...

Retailers cream off profits.
December 18, 2006... Retailers are close to making record margins out of cheese, according to a new report from the Milk Development Council on Dairy Supply Chain margins. The margins made on mild cheddar - around 16ppl - are the same as many farmers receive for...

Negotiations collapse for Cumbrian cheese plant.
December 18, 2006... Partners in Cheese - the company behind the proposed new #50m cheese plant at Workington in Cumbria - has pulled out of negotiations with Dairy Crest Direct's Aspatria farmers because of their inability to decide on whether to commit to the...

NFU getting ready to push campaign.
December 18, 2006... Reassurance that submitted invoices would not automatically be passed back to milk buyers has given producers greater confidence in the NFU's invoicing campaign. Following a slow start responses accelerated in late November as the NFU took...

Milk retains its place on welfare scheme.(milk tokens for low income families)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Despite fears that milk would be omitted under the review of the welfare milk token scheme, it has been announced that low income families with children under the age of five and pregnant women under the age of 18 will continue to get free...

Cowmen comment: Doing my bit for the winky wonky bird.(trends in the dairy industry)
December 18, 2006... This month John Trunch exposes some stark injustices in the RPA and goes on to call for a concerted effort from farmers to achieve some much needed clout. Could an international milk strike even be possible? I would like to start by...

Cowmen comment: Why we'll all be left picking bits from this showdown.
December 18, 2006... Disagreement between the regulation makers and enforcers has caused an alarming degree of confusion in one part of the processing sector and Pat Bird is in no doubt about who will end up footing the bill. Last time I told you of my very...

Cowmen comment: Supply starting to get tighter as production declines.
December 18, 2006... As his Scottish neighbours start to quit the industry, Donald McColm is expecting prices to firm a little but is apprehensive some co-op members may start thinking about defecting to direct supply. Last spring First Milk announced that it...

Potter's View: Ok, so you may have to swallow the odd witchetty grub.(Ian Potter)
December 18, 2006... This month Ian Potter turns showman and gives us his personal insight into how he sees the latest Arla performance playing with producers. Roll up, roll up ladies and gentleman for two all-new reality TV shows coming soon to screens near...

Breeding: Justice regains his crown as leader of pack here and in US.(O-Bee Manfred Justice)
December 18, 2006... US sire O-Bee Manfred Justice has regained his crown in the latest proof ratings and although not the hottest shot for type his daughters stay the course and avoid the cull list. Angela Rhodes reports. The latest run of Interbull Holstein...

Breeding: Type ranking update.(dairy industry evaluation)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Latest type rankings show Durham son Mesland Duplex holding on comfortably to pole position with an overall type merit of +3.58. Top Canadian sire Braedale Goldwyn is just behind at +3.47 but is likely to appeal to breeders looking for more...

Nutrition: Best buys for balancing this winter's diets.
December 18, 2006... With forage quality creating several new challenges this year, KW Alternative Feeds nutritionist Ian Pickles looks at some of the best buys for balancing dairy rations this winter. As always, forage quality and volume are the fundamental...

Machinery: Latest advances in mixer wagons - Kuhn.(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... French-firm Kuhn used Eurotier to launch its very first self-propelled vertical auger mixer wagon. Called the SPV, and supporting the horizontal auger SP 14 and SP 18 models, the newcomer is available in 10, 12 and 14cu m capacity versions, all...

Machinery: Latest advances in mixer wagons - Mayer.(Siloking Duo)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... German mixer wagon maker Mayer created quite a stir when it launched the world's first three-wheeled self-propelled mixer wagon at the last Eurotier. Helping to improve versatility in confined buildings, this year the company was back with a...

Machinery: Latest advances in mixer wagons - Peecon.(Alligator auger)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Dutch-firm Peecon revealed the prototype of a new design of vertical mixing auger at the show. Known as the Alligator auger, a feature of the patented system is that in addition to the standard cutting knives, the outer edge of the...

Machinery: Latest advances in mixer wagons - Strautmann.(Double K series)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... The main feature of Strautmann's latest twin vertical auger mixer wagon is that the rear auger has a smaller diameter than the front one. The new design allows bigger tyres to be fitted to improve stability on rough ground and yet still keep...

Machinery: Latest advances in mixer wagons - Mayer.(straw blower)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... The need to maximise machine use has resulted in a number of mixer wagon manufacturers offering the option of a straw blower to allow the machine to double as a straw-bedding unit. What's more, there were plenty of new straw blower options at...

Machinery: Latest advances in mixer wagons - Alieco.(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Italian company Alieco says it is seeking an importer to bring its new brand of horizontal mixer wagons to the UK. Furthermore, whilst it might be a new brand and livery, the manufacturer is a familiar name in the mixer wagon world -...

Machinery: Latest advances in mixer wagons - TKS.(TKS Industrial Co.)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... The emphasis was not just on conventional mixer wagons at this year's show but also on a number of fully automated feeding systems. Dubbed feed robots, the four versions on display included this Norwegian-made system. Made by TKS, and...

Machinery: Latest advances in mixer wagons - Strautmann.(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... A self-steering rear axle is a new factory-fitted option for the self- propelled Verti Mix Double 14, 17 and 29cu m capacity mixer wagons from Strautmann. The option is said to lead to superior manoeuvrability when working in confined spaces....

Machinery: Latest advances in mixer wagons - JF-Stoll.(VM 30-2)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... The VM 30-2, a new twin auger vertical mixer wagon, was the feature of the JF-Stoll stand. Offering a capacity of 30cu m, the machine is actually based on the smaller 22cu m capacity VM 22-2. However, the difference lies in the welded extension...

Machinery: Triple augers.(Faresin Handlers)(Magnum Triple)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Mixer wagon maker Faresin Handlers confirms that it has just sold its very first trailer triple vertical auger machine to a Danish customer. Called the Magnum Triple, it offers a capacity of 46cu m. The company also confirms that it is...

Machinery: Faster mixing.(Shelbourne Reynolds)(Powermix Pro)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... The Powermix Pro is a brand new range of trailed mixer wagons from Shelbourne Reynolds. Available in 9, 11 and 13cu m single auger versions, and 16, 18 and 22cu m twin auger models, the new auger design is of particular interest as it not only...

Milk prices: Glanbia looks to south for supply.(Glanbia Cheese Ltd.)
December 18, 2006... Milk price analyst Stephen Bradley comments on the latest milk industry developments. Glanbia Cheese, the UK's largest cheesemaker based on the Isle of Anglesey, is looking to the south of Wales for direct supplies in order to secure...

Milk Link lifts quota limit.(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... With our milk price league table this month highlighting prices paid for Oct'06 supplies, the only price change not previously reported is Milk Link's late decision to backdate an increase of 0.2ppl on its liquid contract from October. The...

Letter: Call for support for national dairy body.(Letter to the editor)
December 18, 2006... From Robert Fisher, 24 Melton Green, Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, S Yorks S63 6AB. There are two theories why ex-farm milk prices are low: market forces theory and power theory. Market forces theory (Smith, Arla) says that low prices are...

Letter: Challenge to RASE Council.(Letter to the editor)
December 18, 2006... From: Tom Bradley, Windmill House Farm, Hatton, Nr Warwick CV35 7HU. A few weeks ago the All Breeds Britain Calf Show was staged in Warwickshire and what a wonderful event this turned out to be - literally hundreds of young farmers showing...

Letter: Warning on mineral level.(Letter to the editor)
December 18, 2006... From: David Atherton, MD Thomson & Joseph Ltd, 119 Plumstead Rd, Norwich NR1 4JT. A survey of over 1200 grass silage samples from all over the UK by mineral specialists Thomson & Joseph has shown an overall lower mineral status for 2006...

20th anniversary of Cheshire Farm Ice Cream.(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Jonathan Fell celebrates the 20th anniversary of Cheshire Farm Ice Cream with a group of schoolchildren from the local Tattenhall primary school. Jonathan's parents Tom and Margaret originally set up the business as a means of adding value to...

Letter: Calf passport.(Letter to the editor)
December 18, 2006... From: Ann Fearnall, Cheaveley Hall, Huntingdon, Chester. Like Sally Leaney, I have also had problems with a calf passport which took three days from posting to arrive, one day late. Of course I didn't have proof of posting. However I...

Good Evans: It doesn't hurt to do a little fantasising.
December 18, 2006... There's a traffic jam on the high street - just what is Roger Evans and his cronies up to in Bishops Castle? A month ago I had a fantasy. The fantasy involved an autumn of long sunny days and crisp dry nights that would stretch well into...