Dairy Farmer articles from June 2003

Dairy Farmer archives from June 2003

Angry producers told to wait for price rise.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Angry milk producers are being told to wait until summer for price increases despite sterling at a four-year low and the Intervention Milk Price Equivalent at a seven-year high. One key reason for the delay is that a lot of milk has been...

COMMENT: What price cheap food?(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Anyone who saw Panorama's expose on the wilful destruction of DNA so that bovine and porcine "skin" protein could remain undetected in imported Dutch poultry meat would have had their confidence in food production severely shaken. Doubly...

Milk image comes in for attack.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
June 17, 2003... Milk producers are up in arms over Harley Street nutritionist Dr Khush Mark's comments that `cows that produce non-organic milk are pumped with hormones' (Daily Express, Tuesday May 13). But when questioned by DF, Dr Mark was apologetic,...

Dairy reform looks likely to go on hold.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... The European Commission seems to have decided to park dairy reform for now, after accepting that farm council opposition to its reform proposals is too entrenched. Eleven member states have rejected the Commission's proposal on grounds...

Eat your heart out, Mel.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Well done to our very own superstar and columnist Tim Gibson for securing the pages of the nationals and both main TV channels following our highly successful open day last month. Not only did he make a spread in the Sun but achieved the...

Fat free poster idea.(96% fat free posters.)(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Philip Davies, who dreamed up the 96% fat free poster idea, is now urging producers to get them out in public view. Mr Davies of Hill Farm, Crew Green, Shropshire, is doing his bit with one at the end of his drive and another on the end of his...

Tax boost for part herd sales.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... The Inland Revenue has changed its rules so that farmers can now sell up to one fifth of their herd at a reduced tax on profits, provided that the cattle are not replaced, report Bristol-based chartered accountants Saffery Champness. This...

Double benefits from euro strength.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... The strengthening of the euro against sterling and the US dollar is proving good news for British dairy farmers - but it is having the exact opposite impact on their eurozone counterparts. Exports have become increasingly uncompetitive...

Bust-up over pricing claim.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Milk committee member Derek Mead is hopping mad following what he claims is a sell-out by the NFU on the latest milk price claim. The seemingly irreconcilable split follows this week's announcement by the NFU for a price rise which Mr Mead...

Cowmen comment: How producer power can be mind changer.
June 17, 2003... Scotland's milk producers showed that when they raise the standard they mean business. Donald McColm joined hundreds of fellow producers who voiced their anger over Lidl's proposal to squeeze the milk price. Scottish dairy farmers really...

Cowmen comment: Jumping through red tractor hoops.(Column)
June 17, 2003... After Pat Bird's weeks of meticulous scrubbing, painting and polishing, the much-awaited dairy inspection was almost marred by the inopportune appearance of those dratted kami-kaze chaffinches. As I scribble this in mid-May, the contractors...

Cowmen comment: French show us how to sell milk!
June 17, 2003... Fresh back from his latest trip across the channel, John Trunch finds that while the French may have a lot of catching up to do, they are nevertheless way ahead when it comes to knowing how best to present milk to the consumer. The...

Open day: Propylene glycol set to plug gap.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Fresh-calved and high yielding cows at Hunter's Hill Farm get an extra energy boost from a daily dose of propylene glycol fed directly on top of their concentrates via the robots. As cows approach calving their dry matter intake can fall...

Open day: Energy is key factor in high yielding cow diets.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Energy, energy, energy is the most important component of the diet for the high yielding cow, according to ABNA nutritionist Duncan Rose. "Too much attention is being paid to protein levels in the diet when the focus should be on supplying...

Open day: Use footbaths to fight dermatitis.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Dairy farmers should be using footbaths more to prevent the ongoing spread of digital dermatitis, claimed a Genus foot-trimmer. According to Paul Brannen, digital dermatitis is becoming an increasing problem in more and more herds and,...

Open day: Robotics: yield increase on target.(Despite his big capital outlay in robotic milking Tim Gibson is well on track.)
June 17, 2003... Despite his big capital outlay in robotic milking Tim Gibson is well on track, according to his costing providers Promar. "We would be looking for a 15% increase in yield, and that is about where he is, says Promar's northern consultant...

Open day: Overhead costs erode profit base.
June 17, 2003... Whilst producers should look at all costs of production there should be a particular focus on overhead costs as this is where the greatest opportunities lie. According to the latest Kingshay Dairy Manager costings, overheads account for...

Lucky dies.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Sexed semen from Cogent's top ranking bull Lucky, who died this week from a long-term back injury, is all gone with only limited supplies of unsexed available. Lucky, who was positive for both fat and protein percents with +2.17 Type Merit and...

Letter: French milk question.(Letter to the Editor)
June 17, 2003... From: Elizabeth Sutton, Eardley Hall Farm, Bignall End, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST7 8ND. Regarding your article on the Marketing page (May) concerning Sainsburys, could you ask Jon Arnold why they have UHT `Candia' milk (produce of France)...

Letter: No time for penny-pinching over MDC genetic evaluation.(Letter to the Editor)
June 17, 2003... From: Jack Lawson, Secretary of the Scottish Dairy Cattle Association, 2 Fauldswood Drive, Paisley PA2 9NW. I am appalled at the MDC published decision to severely cut their investment in dairy cow genetic evaluation from #400k to #250k and...

Italian producers look set for debt write-off.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Despite playing hard to get, the Commission and member states are still on course to concede Italian demands that it should be allowed to give farmers interest-free loans to meet unpaid superlevy bills. Since these loans would be over 30...

Milk drink that can pack a big punch.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... A manufacturer of chocolate flavoured milk in Denmark is set to give its product a new image by adding either vodka or cognac. The ready to drink sector is the fastest growing part of the drinks market and the new drink will be sold in bars...

Kerrygold sales on the increase.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Despite poor international markets in 2002, the Irish Dairy Board delivered a profit of 36.7m euro. This was on sales of 1.8bn euro and the profit was similar to that achieved by the Board in 2001. Sales of Kerrygold branded products...

UK quota move runs into strong opposition.(milk quotas)(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... The UK government appears to have conceded that it cannot win the battle in Europe to have milk quotas scrapped - but it is now pressing the Commission to increase quotas in 2006 and 2007 hoping this will reduce their value and drive down milk...

Danone bounces back after boycott storm.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... At the height of the stalemate between France and the United States over the war in Iraq, some American restaurants went so far as to re- brand French fries as 'freedom fries' - but, despite this corporate hysteria, Europe's biggest dairy...

Potter's View: Are cracks starting to show in Thomsen?(Diary quotas.)
June 17, 2003... The original Thomsen judgement has already been challenged by the European Parliament and the lawyers are now casting their professional eyes over it. As a result the quota scenario could suddenly all change, with far reaching ramifications...

Courier moves up into top gear.(UK proven sire Cogent Courier.)
June 17, 2003... The latest round of Interbull proofs sees home-grown talent breaking new records and a rash of interesting new pedigrees entering the upper echelons of the rankings. Angela Rhodes reports. UK proven sire Cogent Courier has reasserted his...

Silky Gibson smoothes his way to top type rating.
June 17, 2003... The Holstein UK overall type rankings have a new leader in Silky Gibson from Canada. Gibson is just one of a number of high type Jed sons now adding second crop daughters but he is well ahead of the pack with a Type Merit of +3.92 and an Udder...

Loss of faith in converted proofs.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Following the purchase of the privately owned cattle breeding company RAB Australia Pty Ltd (RAB), Genus has added the first two bulls from Down Under to its proven line-up. Elite Mountain Donor is no stranger to the Top 10 #PLI rankings having...

Genus bull stud adds Aussie duo to proven stud.(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Among the new bulls from Holland in this proof run is Katshaar Kirby, one of the top Dutch sires for type and one of the best bulls in the UK on Feet and Leg composite with a score of over +3.0. Kirby is sired by Dutch Aerostar son Newhouse...

Gibbon son Nouga nudges in with protein and PLI92.
June 17, 2003... The highest new UK proven bull in the rankings is the French bred high milk, high protein sire Cogent Nouga. Sired by Gibbon and out of a Celsius dam, this bull is over +900 kg milk and has a #PLI of 92. Typewise, the initial proof on 31...

Limited space.(www.mdcevaluations.co.uk and www.holstein-uk.org. )(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... Limited space prevents us from featuring every new bull in this proof review. Full details on the May 2003 sire rankings can be found on the following websites www.mdcevaluations.co.uk and www.holstein-uk.org. Copyright: CMP Information...

Jocko flies the flag for France.(Breeding bulls.)(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... French sire Jocko Besne is just starting to get UK daughters in his proof. French genetics have been in the doldrums since the heyday of bulls like Gibbon, Fatal and Esquimau. This has been partly due to the switch to MACE type proofs...

Scoring for fertility.
June 17, 2003... In the third of our breeding management series, Holstein UK's Animal Breeding and Research Analyst Lucy Andrews draws on extensive work carried out with the SAC Animal Breeding & Genetics Department to assess the potential for using Condition...

How US cut down on culls.
June 17, 2003... Sustained selection for productive life means the culling rate on one Wisconsin dairy unit now runs 12% below the US national average. Angela Rhodes finds out how selection for performance helps pay the bills at Rosy-Lane Holsteins. ...

Choose genetics for turning grass into milk.
June 17, 2003... Many dairy farmers remain sceptical of the value of genetic indices as selection tools. Producers in Ireland, however, rely on their national index to help them choose the right genetics for their spring calving systems. Angela Rhodes reports....

Missing out on export potential.
June 17, 2003... Greater effort should be made to promote British dairy products overseas as the export potential is there, according to new research commissioned by the MDC and carried out by Food From Britain (FFB). Some of the best opportunities for...

Revival of blue veined favourite.(Real Blue Wensleydale cheese.)(Brief Article)
June 17, 2003... For over 750 years Wensleydale cheese was almost entirely recognised as a blue-veined speciality until the 1920s when the white, crumbly variety became the fashion and the blue became extinct. That is, until recently. Over the past year...

Good Evans: Get your wheat off my footpath!(Column)
June 17, 2003... Roger Evans may be a self-confessed laid-backer, but when the footpath officer told him to spray off his wheat, his native cool suddenly snapped. Well, you can imagine, can't you... Much of my time in recent months seems to have been...