Dairy Farmer articles from May 2004

Dairy Farmer archives from May 2004

Feed prices here to stay.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Producers coming off winter contracts are now seeing a #20/t hike in compound feed prices equating to an increase of around 0.5ppl in feed costs. Farmers buying on the spot market have also seen a rise of around #10/t in compound feed prices in...

COMMENT: Hanging together.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Longslow Food Group's slogan may read `finest in the field' but just at the moment it's mud in the eyes of its milk suppliers. In fact producers are hopping mad after receiving a letter from the Colwyn Bay buyer informing them of a...

Bigger farms set to be hit hardest under MTR.(Defra.)(Marginal Tax Rate)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Defra has admitted that dairy farmers in England will lose out as a result of CAP reform, and the bigger the farm the greater is likely to be their percentage loss of income by 2012. Speaking at an Agra Europe conference in London the head...

Milk Link says competitors seeking to destabilise them.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Milk Link hit back this week at allegations that it was destabilising the market and accused competitors of trying to undermine it. Relationships within the milk industry are getting worse not better with farmer increasingly being set...

Win season's free fly control.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... With the fly season about to start, pharmaceutical company Intervet is offering free fly control for the season. To launch their new longer lasting fly pour-on, Butox Swish, Intervet is offering 10 lucky DF readers a season's supply for...

Care needed by quitting tenants over quota leasing.
May 6, 2004... Producers wanting to cease production and lease out their quota should tread warily, warned DF's own columnist Ian Potter this week as the ripples from the long-term effects of the Thomsen case start to work through. This applies...

What is best sowing date?
May 6, 2004... How late can you sow maize and still harvest a mature crop with good yields? Can later maturing varieties be sown early to bring harvest forward from October to September, or will this result in yield loss? Is early sowing better than late...

Longslow cuts 1p off price.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Longslow Dairies, Colwyn Bay, is to cut its direct supply base milk price by 1ppl to 18ppl for a minimum 3.6% bf from April 2004. This move effectively wipes out all price increases since October 2003. The company increased its producer...

Butter nailing down prices.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The European Commission has admitted that the early months of EU enlargement could bring problems for dairy commodity markets. It used the threat of low cost supplies of butter and milk powder from eastern Europe to justify rejecting export...

Anglesey weed days numbered.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Robert Pritchard of Frigan Farm, Brynteg, Anglesey, is the winner of the Dow AgroSciences grassland weeds competition. He was one of four finalists who were selected from a large number of entries to the Dow AgroSciences competition. Mr...

Cowmen comment: It's the case of our truly invincible cow.
May 6, 2004... They may breed `em tough up in Yorkshire, but a cow living to 1000 years of age must be a leg pull. Not according to the BCMS who persist in maintaining its health and well being despite Tim Gibson's best efforts to convince them it is now...

Cowmen comment: I reckon jolly good value at #10 per hour!
May 6, 2004... Where home labour is not fully costed, family farms are in fact subsidising the cost of production. The question then, as Sally Leaney finds, is what is the alternative? It's not yet mid April, it's still cold and the grass hasn't really...

Cowmen comment: Why you must never argue with grey suits.
May 6, 2004... Jumping through bureaucratic hoops is par for the course these days, but what happens if you're not much of a hoop jumper? Paul Higgins tells us about his Uncle Billy and the faceless men in grey. You may remember last time I mentioned...

Interview: Warning to tenants: beware the ten month rule!(Interview)
May 6, 2004... With MTR rules and regulations starting to percolate through, the ramifications for the tenanted sector are legion. David Matthews talks to George Dunn, chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association, about the pressing problems that sector...

EU NEWS: Change in euro will bring mixed benefit.(European Union)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The days of the 70p euro seem to be gone and this will bring mixed blessings for dairy farmers. On the positive side it will give a much needed boost to exports outside Europe but it will make the UK more attractive to EU imports, particularly...

EU NEWS: UK at bottom of EU league.(European Union)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... European milk prices fell by an average 2 per cent in 2003, according to Dutch figures. This compares prices paid by the biggest buyers across all member states. The UK was at the bottom of the league table, with Express and First Milk. The top...

EU NEWS: Fischler's cash boost.(European Union)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Farm commissioner Franz Fischler is promising dairy farmers an autumn cash flow boost. He is planning to bring forward payment of the new dairy farm premium, based on quota held at 31 March 2004, from December to mid October. This, he...

EU NEWS: Superlevy assessment.(European Union, levy payable for milk production in excess of specified quota)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... A mixed picture is emerging of the superlevy position across the EU. While many member states are in the UK position of being close to target, others are facing large superlevy bills. These include Austria, Denmark, Germany and Ireland, where...

EU NEWS: Cheese seen as long term growth sector.(European Union)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The European Commission is promising short-term pain but long-term gain for those that manage to stay in the dairy industry until 2010. In its medium term forecast, covering 2005 to 2010, it says there will be a growth in demand for cheese...

POTTER'S VIEW: Why Defra may have headache coming on!
May 6, 2004... While producers come to grips with the practicalities of trading in the shadow of MTR regulations, broker Ian Potter gives a few pointers as to how he sees things shaping up in these fast-changing times. Post us off some paracetamol tablets...

Genetic marker used in appetite selection.
May 6, 2004... A genetic marker which can be used to select cattle with better appetites has been identified by pharmaceutical company Merial Animal Health. The company which has been running a genetic research project in North America has successfully...

Select bulls for easy care cows.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... 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...

HUK to pull plug on TOP.(Holstein UK)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Two years after its introduction, Holstein UK has decided to discontinue the use of its TOP ranking. TOP was born out of the frustration of the `breeders majority' who felt that #PLI did not accurately reflect the selection goals of most...

Sara returns to claim crown.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Top show cow and reigning Royal Show champion, Copywood Integrity Sara Red EX90, made a winning return to the ring by carrying off the Supreme Championship at the National Holstein Show. Jointly owned by the Riverdane and Copywood herds,...

Low cell count Montbeliarde in Holstein crossing trials.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The French dual purpose Montbeliarde is attracting growing interest as a crossbreeding sire among extended grazing and low input system producers. Semen importer Avoncroft Sires reports a year-on-year increase in the use of Montbeliardes for...

Semen World adds trio to proven stud.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Following the last proof run, Semen World has added three new bulls to its proven line-up. Celsius son, Ridge-Star Cel Jakin, offers the most complete type and production package of the trio. Jakin comes from the well known Caernarvon Mark...

Patron son for sexed semen.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Cogent Breeding has added another sexed semen sire to it portfolio in the shape of Patron son Scotchhills Patriot. The bull is yet another proven son from the prolific Kimo cow family that has already produced Painley Knighthood and...

SEASONALITY: Winter calving to be avoided?
May 6, 2004... With more and more milk buyers starting to stipulate their own production profile requirements, some producers could be caught out by seasonal calving. Ian Powell, director of the ADAS Dairy Group, gives us a timely insight. The start of...

Survey results: calf health runs up against buffers.
May 6, 2004... When it comes to calf rearing, many of Britain's dairy farmers are between a rock and a hard place, according to the National Calf Pneumonia Survey of Dairy Farmer readers sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health's Quality Milk Awards. An impressive...

Letter: Not so fast over milking speeds!(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2004... From: Clive Cook, Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate, Taunton. Your correspondent Mr Futrill (Letters March 2004) raises the issue of the number of cows per hour claimed to be milked by one man and the consequent time available for the operator to...

Letter: Milk Link hits back over market tactics.(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2004... From: Jeremy Pope, chairman Milk Link, Plym House, 3 Longbridge Rd, Plymouth PL6 8LT. I was both stunned and angered when I read the article in the April edition of Dairy Farmer entitled "Milk Link under attack for market share tactics"...

Letter: What about the Brown Swiss?(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2004... From: Chris Candy, Chairman Brown Swiss Cattle Society UK, Light Hey Farm, Buglawton, Congleton, Cheshire CW12 3PE. When reading the "Top of the milk league" cover story in the February of Dairy Farmer, I was disappointed to find that there...

Letter: How index has lead us to where we are.(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2004... From: Mary Mead, Holt Farms Ltd, Blagdon, N Somerset. Regarding cattle indexes and what people would prefer to use. I'll start by telling you how I think the present indexes came about. Well you did ask! First, come up with an idea to...

Letter: History in the making.(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2004... From: Robert Howarth, film archivist, 23 Scape View, Golcar, Huddersfield HD7 4DH. (Tel: 01484 655597). I am an agricultural film archivist and am trying to preserve the history of farming in the UK on movie film. I have over 40 hours of...

CATCH CROPS: Keeping forage quality up during summer months.
May 6, 2004... Brassica catch crops can provide a valuable source of energy and protein when grass is in short supply. Managed correctly in good growing conditions they can even provide extra green feed almost all year round. Angela Rhodes finds out more. ...

CATCH CROPS: Early sowing to avoid flea beetle.
May 6, 2004... The hybrid brassica variety Winfred has been a mainstay of the crop rotation for one East Devon organic dairy farm for the last five years. Angela Rhodes reports. Farm manager Richard Quick grows around 30 acres of this fodder rape variety...

CATCH CROPS: Green crop access virtually every day.
May 6, 2004... Cornish producer Alan Pengilly is an unashamed green fodder enthusiast and grows a succession of catch crops on his 130 acre unit at St Keverne near Helston. In fact, the 70 cow all-year-round calving herd has access to a green catch crop...

CATCH CROPS: How to slash winter feeding costs by half.
May 6, 2004... The mid-term review should not be all doom and gloom and can provide some exciting opportunities for farm businesses to collaborate with mutual benefit, according to Somerset-based Caroline Taylor of the Farm Consultancy Group. As an example,...

CATCH CROPS: Cross slot seeder ensures precision.
May 6, 2004... A new direct drill just imported from New Zealand is attracting interest from livestock farmers as a convenient and quick way of establishing new crops on farm. Mike Green has the details. One of the main advantages claimed for the Cross...

JUDGING: How did you get on with spotting top cows?(National Holstein Show)
May 6, 2004... With a modern-day record of well over 100 entries and so many strong contenders among the six cows nominated in each of the seven classes, the 2003 Eprinex All-Britain Holstein Awards provided a fitting finale to this year's National Holstein...

Our very own winners.
May 6, 2004... The competition was equally fierce in our special Dairy Farmer All- Britain judging challenge organised with Holstein UK. Well over 150 of you pitted your show ring skills against the 51 top UK judges to pick the seven class winners in the...

Milk prices manage just over 1p for year.
May 6, 2004... It certainly wasn't the year of the 2ppl increase, with March 2004 prices showing an average increase of 1.1ppl compared with April 2003. This month our league table ranks the milk prices paid for March 2004 supplies - for our standard...

Glanbia confident of supplier commitment.
May 6, 2004... Following meetings and farm liaisons visiting members on farms, Glanbia claim the majority of their 400+ direct suppliers have either signed the Milk Link contract or have registered their intention to do so. Those direct suppliers who do sign...

Dairy Crest drops price.(Dairy Industry)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Dairy Crest is to cut its direct supply price on its new manufacturing contracts by 0.5ppl from April 2004. Suppliers remaining on old contracts (around 10% of its direct supply from April) are to receive a price cut of 0.7ppl. The cut takes...

Co-ops into line.(Dairy Industry)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Milk Link holding its price for Apr'04 will bring the other major co-op producer milk prices in line with its own. Our standard 1mltr producer remaining on Milk Link's milk price of 18.20ppl (before any seasonality aspect) compares with First...

Wiseman set to maintain direct price.
May 6, 2004... Robert Wiseman has confirmed it is to hold its direct supply milk price from April 2004. However three key changes to the pricing schedules, agreed last autumn, gives suppliers the opportunity to squeeze an extra 0.1ppl for meeting the new...

First Milk comes in with revisions.
May 6, 2004... First Milk is to cut its dual pricing contract milk price by 0.7ppl from April 2004. Around a quarter of the 4000-strong membership opted for this system in April 2003. As the core price on Dual Pricing was set at a premium of 0.22ppl...

DFoB moves with flat rate cut.(Dairy industry; Dairy Farmers of Britain )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Dairy Farmers of Britain is to cut its price by a flat rate 0.7ppl from April 2004, reducing its monthly market adjustment from 1ppl to 0.3ppl, taking our price for DFoB down to 18.23ppl on its standard and 18.98ppl on London Premium...

MARKETING: Looking for fair deal for primary producer.(protecting small producers)
May 6, 2004... The Code of Practice drawn up to offer a degree of protection to small producers who supply supermarkets is not working and according to speakers at the Food Chain panel at Food and Drink Expo retailers who do make efforts to foster such...

Stilton signs up with stars.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... Terry Wogan prefers his Stilton in a salad with walnuts, IT-girl Tara Palmer Tomkinson and Stephen Fry are more taken with Stilton mash whereas presenter Philippa Forester goes for the luxury Stilton dip. These celebrity Stilton supporters,...

Whey turns into plastic of future.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The European Union is funding a project to make biodegradable plastic from whey - a by-product from cheese-making where 30% of the 50m tonnes produced across Europe is currently discarded. Known as the Wheypol project, a group of 10...

Good Evans: It's a red letter day all around!
May 6, 2004... This week our intrepid hero narrowly escapes Guantanamo Bay for not treating that ubiquitous grey-suited army of bureaucrats with the respect they feel they deserve, and prudently pulls back from plumbing the depth of their sense of humour. But...