Dairy Farmer articles from March 2006

Dairy Farmer archives from March 2006

COMMENT: SFP gone overnight.(milk price )(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Producers are hopping mad with Arla's latest announcement to cut the milk price by a whopping 0.9ppl until April. Just when spring production was bumping along the bottom and a degree of stability was beginning to prevail, we suddenly have...

News review: Arla farmers furious over latest price cuts.
March 6, 2006... A `substantial number' of Arla Foods Milk Partnership members are threatening to protest against the processor and its main retail customer, Asda, following their recent milk price cut and new "market related milk pricing system". This was...

News review: Dangers in nitrate consultation.
March 6, 2006... Defra is on the nitrate warpath again with a new consultation document due to be issued shortly and which evoked a quick response from industry leaders. The NFU is urging farmers to lobby against some of the more onerous measures including...

News review: Prices struggle for spring milk.(reports of milk prices)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... While milk prices during the all-important spring flush period are struggling to match last year's prices, the difference is "less than might be expected given the fall in the support price that has occurred", according to Datum. Milk for...

News review: Ferry set to add value to dairy bulls.
March 6, 2006... Buoyancy in the tough bull calf market looks likely if a new million pound ferry service to the continent succeeds. Dairy farmers will be targeted this month (March) with an invitation to join a new group called Anglo-European Farmers Ltd,...

News review: Cumbrian factory plan put on hold.(plan for build a new cheese factory )
March 6, 2006... Tenacious Dutch dairy entrepreneur Ronald Akkerman has ditched his plans to secure farmer funding to build a new Cumbrian commodity cheese factory after failing to win investment funds from farmers in the region. The lack of interest from...

News review: Cheese firms gain ground against discounting.
March 6, 2006... UK's three leading cheese brands have all made headway in reducing the volume they sell via deals in the much-commoditised category, while sales have invariably grown. Over the last three years the UK's top selling brand, Dairy Crest's...

News review: Potential for off-loading your liability for set-aside.
March 6, 2006... A legal loophole which allows transfer of set-aside entitlement looks likely to be taken up by farmers in their droves, according to leading West Country agents Carver Knowles. Although the scheme theoretically makes nonsense of the new...

Correction: Maize clearance.(Correction Notice)
March 6, 2006... Last month's maize feature citing October 15 as the date for maize clearance under cross compliance was incorrect and a result of wires getting crossed. Apologies all round. Copyright CMP Information Ltd.

Cowmen comment - Heifer calving: two go down and we don't want any more.(Column)
March 6, 2006... I must start by thanking those who took the trouble to put pen to paper after reading my last column following the loss of my father. Many people said that they cried reading it. I often hear people say that Roger Evans brings tears of laughter...

Cowmen comment: Somerset making ready for first wheat bioethanol plant.(food production )
March 6, 2006... This month our intrepid south-west correspondent Sally Leaney looks at future energy supplies and in true investigative fashion ends up (almost) at the top of a 30m high wind tower. As one Somerset farmer said to another Somerset farmer...

Cowmen comment: David Brown retires with blown out injector pump.
March 6, 2006... Fresh back from his hospital visit, Paul Higgins has two other lifelong blows. First his beloved David Brown starts a'spitting and a'spluttering like a wheezing child and then his favourite kitchen sofa is deemed unfit for active service....

Interview: We must not let organic market get out of kilter again.(Interview)
March 6, 2006... Recent organic converters have had a pretty torrid time as the promised 26ppl goal faded into a conventional market price of 18ppl. David Matthews talks to OMSCo's sales and marketing director Richard Hampton. OMSCo stands unique in the...

Potter's View: Producers show disgust at latest Arla price drop.(reports of Ian Potter )(Column)
March 6, 2006... Although Ian Potter is fully focused on developing his top secret entitlement package, it hasn't escaped his notice that Arla is leading the price charge+ only in the wrong direction! Catch up on his latest thinking Within days of you...

FERTILITY: Managing the sub-oestrus cow.
March 6, 2006... In this our third in the Intervet cut-out-and-keep fertility series, vet Jonathan Statham looks at cows that may be sub-oestrus and what we can do about them. Are you seeing more cows not cycling or not come bulling compared with 10 years...

EU News: UK set up for poorest deal.(europian union. united kingdom)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The future value of single farm payments is at risk after the European Commission confirmed that member states can impose voluntary modulation to transfer funds from pillar one (agriculture) to pillar two (rural development) of the CAP. ...

EU News: Would we be better off if quotas were reduced?(European Union)(reports on milk quotas)
March 6, 2006... The EU, through farm commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel, has rejected any suggestion that the future of milk quotas should be debated. However in a number of member states experts are asking whether this is the right policy and whether the...

EU News: French cuts.(European dairy matters)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Richard Wright comments on European dairy matters. Further evidence of price pressure has emerged with a new agreement between French farmers and processors to impose a milk price cut for the first quarter of this year. This is the latest...

EU News: Arla suffers from cartoon backlash.(European union)
March 6, 2006... The European dairy industry has been plunged into crisis by protests in the Middle-East and North Africa over the publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed. Arla Foods, one of the biggest European dairy players in the region...

EU News: WTO impact not taken on board.
March 6, 2006... The European Commission's latest market forecasts until 2012 are a classic example of a triumph for hope over expectation. It says prospects for the main commodities, including dairy products, are good - but then admits this does not take...

Breeding: Reshuffle in the rankings as fresh lifespan data released.(rankings in favour of bulls )
March 6, 2006... The inclusion of new longevity information for foreign sires has meant a reshuffle in the rankings in favour of bulls transmitting longer herdlife. Angela Rhodes takes a look at the latest Holstein sire proofs. High replacement rates and...

Breeding: Type ranking update.(production rankings)
March 6, 2006... Compared to the production rankings there has been little change at the top for the high type sires. The rankings continue to be headed by Mesland Duplex, with UK sires Jackson and Shottle in hot pursuit. Two new bulls from World Wide Sires...

Forage: How ruminants can utilise more of protein they ingest.(water soluble carbohydrate )
March 6, 2006... High fertiliser prices and pressure to cut nitrate pollution is forcing producers to look even more closely at nitrogen usage especially when you consider that ruminants waste up to 75% of the forage nitrogen they consume. Typically just...

Forage: Get the best from your fertiliser inputs.(Kemira GrowHow services)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Used wisely, nitrogen is still the most cost effective input. Kemira GrowHow agronomist Allison Grundy offers some timely tips on getting the best from fertiliser. Energy prices may have pushed the cost of fertilisers up this season but,...

Forage: Why taking more from grass may result in less.
March 6, 2006... It may be a relief to get cows out to grass but the over riding danger is that as grass consumption goes up margins may tumble. Independent consultant Peter Allen tells us why. We've all been urged for years to get those cows out to grass...

Forage: Breakthrough test ready to predict grass sulphur levels.
March 6, 2006... Sulphur imbalances can lead to less efficient nitrogen uptake by grassland and even metabolic problems in some cows, but now a test for sulphur status is planned to be launched this spring. Ann Hardy has the story. Around 25% of dairy...

Forage: Is it time to do away with multi-cut silage?
March 6, 2006... With more persistent ryegrass varieties now coming on stream, a case is opening up for abandoning the never-ending chore of multi-cut silage making. IGER's grass breeding manager Pete Wilkins makes his claim. Grass silage making has...

Forage: Dutch put value on protein from silage.
March 6, 2006... Controversy may surround the inherent contribution of inoculant additives but the latest Dutch research focuses on the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis and is not only putting a value on the effect of the additive but takes into...

Forage: Clover ready to make your nitrogen for you.(milk production from low nitrogen systems)
March 6, 2006... Soaring fertiliser prices and marginal profits from alternative land use make milk production from low nitrogen systems a more cost effective option. Angela Rhodes looks at the cost benefits of clover- friendly grassland management. It has...

On farm: How wholecrop arable acts as buffer for summer grass.
March 6, 2006... National runner up in the BGS annual Grassland Management Competition is husband and wife team Andrew and Janet Addison from Cumbria who have set about producing as much milk as they can from their own resources. Jennifer MacKenzie reports. ...

Entitlements: Are you ready for entitlement trading?
March 6, 2006... Very shortly producers will have a new element added to their lives - that of entitlements. With them comes a whole complex world of how to optimise their worth, how to trade them and how to rate them for tax purposes. George Chichester of...

Letter: High production duo from the US.(United States)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Two new graduates from the Genus/ABS programme in the US are the two elite production bulls Mr Motel and GG Snap Shot. Mr Motel is a BW Marshall son from an EX 91 Rudolph from the famous Mark Maui cow family. He boasts over 900kg of milk...

Letter: Last doubts are removed.(Letter to the Editor)
March 6, 2006... From: John Tuck, Highgate Farm, Wootton Bassett, Swindon, Wilts, SN4 8DT. Two quotes from David Curry MP as interviewed by David Matthews in your January issue. 1)"As a politician I think I command the respect from across the...

Milk prices: Arla Foods making way for new price structure.(price reduction)(Arla Foods Ingredients A.m.b.a.)
March 6, 2006... The Arla Foods Milk Partnership has agreed to a 0.9ppl reduction in milk price for Feb/Mar milk supplies so as to enable a new milk pricing arrangement to be taken up from April this year. Under the new pricing policy from April the price...

Milk prices: Change to bactoscan testing.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Starting from January 1, 2006 United Dairy Farmers have introduced Bactoscan testing to replace the old TBC count system. Unlike some companies who might be tempted to use lower than necessary banding in order to increase the opportunity of...

Milk prices: Wensleydale second cut.(Wensleydale Dairy Products Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Following the company's 0.5ppl cut from Dec'05, Wensleydale Dairy Products has confirmed that it has made another small cut in its direct supply milk price from Feb'06. New constituent values of 1.728p per % b/f and 3.666p per % protein will...

Milk prices: United's auction price down.(United Dairy Farmers)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... NI's United Dairy Farmers milk auction this month sold a total of 55mltrs (all contracts starting Mar 1) for an average price of 17.03ppl, 0.17ppl down on the 17.20ppl achieved last year and 1.49ppl down on last month's 18.52ppl. Of the total...

Milk prices: RWD to neutralise deficit in supply profile scheme.(Robert Wiseman Dairies)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Having confirmed earlier this month that it is to hold its milk price for Feb'06 (maintaining our price of 19.94ppl for Central Scotland and 20.14ppl at Manchester), Robert Wiseman is to reclaim a small amount of money from direct suppliers...

Milk prices: DFB to hold price at 17.86ppl.(Dairy Farmers of Britain)(pay per lead)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Dairy Farmers of Britain is the first of the major co-ops to confirm that it will be holding its price for members at the current level until the end of next month, maintaining our league prices at 17.86ppl and 17.81ppl for their compositional...

Good Evans: My late night journey with Katherine Jenkins.(Roger Evans)(milk quality problems)
March 6, 2006... Roger Evans has many calls on his time and now thanks to the endeavours of his grandson has found a never ending list of people to accompany him on the otherwise lonely journey home. One of the hats I wear in that part of my life that takes...