Dairy Farmer articles from October 2004

Dairy Farmer archives from October 2004

Re-arranging deckchairs?(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Unprecedented developing country demand, soaring gas prices and rising freight costs mean UK farmers will be paying as much as #50 a tonne more for fertiliser next spring. According to Banks Cargill's fertiliser director Stuart Allison,...

COMMENT: Fertiliser price set to take off.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Trying out its wings this week is the newly launched Dairy UK - the metamorphosis of the processors' body DIAL into a pan industry umbrella group now taking on board producers as well. Such a change may well have been inevitable given that...

ASDA urged to re-instate earlier cuts.(Dairy UK)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Concerted pressure has forced major retailer ASDA to publicly confirm that there is no justification for a reduction in farmgate milk prices this autumn and the supermarket has given assurances that it will not be cutting retail milk prices....

Dairy UK Board members.(Dairy UK )(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Dairy UK board members, under chairman Sir Don Curry, are: Wesley Abbey, vice-chairman, Arla Foods Milk Partnership; Gwyn Jones, chairman NFU Dairy Board; David Dobbin, United Dairy Farmers; John Duncan, First Milk; Barry Nicholls, Milk Link;...

TB could put end to exports to EU.(Tuberculosis)(European Union)
October 13, 2004... Concerns are growing that UK dairy products could shortly be excluded from the EU to protect its substantial trading partnership with Russia, according to leading TB campaigners. The case arises because the Russians have replaced previous...

Appealing for public support on milk prices.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Pressure group Farm has launched an initiative to build public support for dairy farmers. "The Government and retailers do not care about farmers but they do care about public opinion," said Farm's Robert Alderson. "This is the power we...

Dairy Crest secures butter brand.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Dairy Crest has secured the Country Life brand having purchased the minority interest in the English Butter Marketing Company. It already had a 56% share in the industry consortium that established and owned the Country Life brand and the...

Semen exports under threat from US levies.(Cogent and Genus)
October 13, 2004... UK cattle semen exports are under threat of a swingeing 30% import tax as a result of a trading spat between the EU and US. American politicians are unhappy with the changes to their trading relations with new EU member countries and to...

Cowmen comment: Looking for some form of co-operation when selling.(dairy farmers)
October 13, 2004... Heartened by some of the leading industry representatives getting together to look at the marketing of milk, John Trunch is convinced a little co-operation would go a long way in restoring some power to primary producers. Surprise,...

Cowmen comment: Uninvited guest finds its way in under door.(dairy farmers)
October 13, 2004... Anyone who has been watching the telly can't help but be aware the south-west has had more than its fair share of recent downpours. And Pat Bird is no exception as smelly cow slurry invades the living room. Read on. All we need now is the...

Cowmen comment: First step is admitting to a mastitis problem!(dairy farmers)
October 13, 2004... Before any attempt is made to rectify high cell counts, you first have to admit to yourself that you may have a mastitis problem! Donald McColm confesses all, in between, that is, preparing for open battle with some monster fodder beet! ...

Interview: Milk brands - an affordable reality or expensive dream?(David Richards managing director of Milk Link Beverages)(Interview)
October 13, 2004... The industry was criticised by KPMG for not offering retailers new brands but recently there has been a veritable explosion. David Matthews talks to David Richards, managing director Milk Link Beverages. YOU'VE launched a few new brands...

Mandelson to stick to EU line in WTO round.(World Trade Organisation)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Nominee trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has assured members of the European Parliament he will stick to the EU negotiating line in the World Trade Organisation. He has also rejected an increased role for the parliament in future...

Parmalat set to sue.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... The Parmalat dairy company, once Europe's highest paying milk buyer which went spectacularly bankrupt last year, is set to sue a range of blue chip financial institutions. The claim is being made by the company's administrator and relates...

Profitable grazing.(Dutch agricultural economics institute )(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Much of mainland Europe is wedded to housed dairy cow systems - but a study by a Dutch agricultural economics institute has concluded that dairy farms which allow cows to graze outside over the summer months are more profitable. The difference...

Zoonoses warning.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... EU food safety commissioner David Byrne has warned that the EU could face a devastating health crisis if more is not done to tackle zoonoses - animal diseases which can be transferred to people. Speaking at a conference in the Netherlands, Mr...

Dairy trade growing faster than production.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Global trade in dairy products is growing faster than the increase in milk production but, according to a report by the Rabobank in the Netherlands, Europe is losing out on this growth. Predictably the lion's share of the extra demand is...

Potter's view: Dairy UK - what sort of future does it have?(Ian Potter)
October 13, 2004... One of the major launches at this year's Dairy Event was that of the pan industry group Dairy UK, but as Ian Potter asks will it ever be more than a talking shop? Read on... Those supportive of Dairy UK hail it as the answer to a maiden's...

Holsteins faced with cross-bred challenge.(Holstein Friesian cattle)
October 13, 2004... As commercial producers place more emphasis on management traits and longevity, the future may no longer be so black and white. Angela Rhodes reports on the latest results from a major US crossbreeding trial. Concerns over falling...

Alta leads on CVM-free Convincer son launch.(Alta Genetics)
October 13, 2004... High type and production American sire Wa Del Convincer CV has had a major international impact on the Holstein breed and has over 2500 daughters in his production proof in the UK. Although still well ranked here with a #PLI of 61 and a...

Bull.it adds Mtoto son to stud line-up.
October 13, 2004... New AI company Bull.it has added a number of bulls to its line-up of established sires previously marketed by Supersires and Avoncroft. Of particular interest to commercial producers looking for a decent `value for money' all rounder is German...

Dairy Daughters' low cell count sire.(sale of bulls)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Dairy Daughters has added two good all rounders to its stud this autumn for those buyers looking for under #20/straw bulls with the introduction of Hanno and Kings Ransom M Duce. Progeny tested in Germany, Hanno is a bit differently bred as...

Should we be cutting the length of the dry period?(boosting milk sales of dairy farms)
October 13, 2004... US nutritionists challenged conventional thinking on dry cow management at this year's University of Nottingham Feed Conference. Angela Rhodes reports. High yielding dairy herds could boost milk sales by another #70- #100/cow/year by...

Anionic salts may be answer to milk fever.(cattle feed)
October 13, 2004... A growing number of US producers are tackling clinical and subclinical milk fever by giving their transition dry cows a dose of anionic salts. The incidence of milk fever is running at about 7% in US herds as a whole but more alarmingly almost...

Regulator might be needed to restore balance in chain.(Dairy Supply Chain Forum)
October 13, 2004... A regulator for the milk industry must be established if the Dairy Supply Chain Forum (DSCF) does not make further progress in breaking serious barriers in the food chain, according to RABDF chairman Tim Brigstocke. The Forum was set up by...

Getting liner that gives best fit.(Milk-Rite)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... A new service which measures cow teat size and enables the most suitable milk liners for the majority of cows in the herd to be fitted on the milking units was introduced at the Dairy Event by Milk-Rite. According to James Allcock, a...

New products to watch out for: New copper supplement.(Premier Nutrition)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... A new copper supplement to improve fertility and health in dairy cows was launched at the Dairy Event by Premier Nutrition. In trials the product showed improvements in conception rate to first service, a shorter calving interval and fewer...

New products to watch out for: Micromex G launched.(Omex Agriculture)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Omex Agriculture launched Micromex G, a concentrated liquid formulation of sodium and essential trace elements aimed at improving livestock health and grass palatability. The product should be applied at 30 litres per hectare in standard water...

New products to watch out for: New ad-lib warm milk feeder.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... A new ad-lib warm milk feeder for groups of up to six calves was launched by Volac International. It allows small groups of calves to feed around the clock on a little and often basis. Called Mini-Mum, the feeder has a 50 litre moulded plastic...

New products to watch out for: New from Deosan.(Deosan New Zealand Limited)(Thixodine)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... * New from Deosan is Thixodine, a ready-to-use, thixotropic, low drip barrier teat disinfectant. It is the first totally new teat preparation from the company for 10 years. It can be used as a dip or foam. The product thickens on contact...

Fischler admits to power of milk retailers.(Franz Fischler)
October 13, 2004... European Agricultural Commissioner Franz Fischler was in upbeat mood about the future of the EU dairy industry although he acknowledged that the UK had severe problems. He said milk prices in Italy were 30 per cent higher than in the UK...

And the winner is.(Quality Milk Award)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... WINNER of the Quality Milk Award this year is Michael Milligan from Culvennan, Castle Douglas. Ruth Archer (right), who is played by Felicity Finch, takes a day off from the milking at Brookfield and the heady co-op versus direct supply problem...

Gold Cup goes to Staffordshire.(livestock industry)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Winners of the NMR/RABDF Gold Cup are Staffordshire brothers James and Jonathan Pickford who scored top marks for their all-round herd performance, business planning and farm conservation. Farming with their mother Helen at Spotacre, Stone,...

HUK aims to cut down costs.(Holstein UK)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... A new herd recording bureau which promises to cut the cost and hassle of record keeping was launched at the Dairy Event by Holstein UK. Holstein Complete links the milk and recording data from CIS's Centre for Dairy Information database...

Milkminder award goes to cheese milk supplier.(Milkminder Manager of the Year 2004)
October 13, 2004... Milkminder Manager of the Year 2004 was won by John and Jackie Davis from Somerset. Runners-up were Tim and Louise Downes from Shropshire. The Davis's farm 150-acre Tadhill Farm at Leigh-on-Mendip, Bath, where they run a herd of 80 cows...

Silage analyses looking good.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Good quality grass silage will increase yield from forage this winter according to Cara Freeston-Smith, rumi-nant specialist with Frank Wright. Commenting on the result of over 2500 silage analysis she said: "Provided farmers know the...

English producers to lose out.(dairy farms)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Intensive English dairy farms will be #100 per hectare worse off than their counterparts in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by 2012. However, extensive farms could be #25/ha better off. The reason is the way the Single Farm Payment...

Network set up to offer bench marks.(Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... A nationwide network of 12 commercial demonstration farms is to be established to help farmers understand and exploit both new and existing agri-environment management schemes and improve their overall income and technical efficiency, the Royal...

Bluegrass herd bags top award.(Jersey Cattle Society National Herds 2004 title.)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... The Bluegrass herd of Barry and Jenny Daw from Hertford Heath, Hertfordshire, has won the Jersey Cattle Society National Herds 2004 title. Runner-up was the Clifton herd of Stephen and Claire Bland from Penrith, Cumbria. The Daws milk 115...

Marker to aid with selection.(genetic markers)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Two new genetic markers to aid genetic progress have been launched by Merial. The first marker is associated with milk yield, fat content and pregnancy rates while the second marker is associated with milk protein levels. According to...

Four stages of cow progress.(dairy nutrition)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... A new concept in dairy nutrition focussing on the lifetime of the dairy cow has been introduced by BOCM Pauls. The company have studied four stages and developed nutrition strategies to achieve their aims. The stages are calf rearing, with...

Back brush for sheer bliss.(Dairy Spares)(cattle brush)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... A ceiling suspended rotating brush which helps alleviate skin irritation from dust and enhances cow comfort was launched by livestock supply company Dairy Spares. The Vink rotating cattle brush can turn in a clockwise or anticlockwise...

Fertility: Heat detection now available on contract basis.
October 13, 2004... As cow numbers per man increase the amount of time available for heat detection is falling to the point that less than 50% of cows are getting the chance to get in calf in each oestrus cycle. Angela Rhodes reports on a new contract breeding...

Fertility: Counting the hidden costs of natural service.
October 13, 2004... In spite of the seemingly universal use of AI in the UK, a staggering 4000 pedigree Holstein bulls are still being registered every year. Falling fertility and rising AI costs are the main reasons for keeping a stock bull but are natural...

Fertility: Keeping the lid on endometritis.
October 13, 2004... Post-calving uterine infections can occur through a variety of reasons like difficult calvings, and the impact on fertility can be severe with cows not even coming bulling let alone holding to service. Kat Bazeley from the Kingfisher Practice,...

Fertility: Time for fertility rating on all bulls.(Estimated Relative Conception Rates (ERCR))
October 13, 2004... The cost of cow infertility is a major cause of concern among many dairy farmers in the UK. ADAS Dairy Group director Nick Holt-Martyn explains why the UK is lagging behind on this important issue. With dairy profit margins under pressure...

Milk prices may look stable but.
October 13, 2004... Visiting the milk purchasers' stands at the Dairy Event, many of them reported farmers with a better air of optimism than had been seen for some time. Whether it was down to the fact producers had just received letters from the RPA...

Seasonality begins to bite from April 2006.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Arla Foods is to introduce an innovative new seasonality scheme effective from Apr'06, with the principal based on rewarding the level year-round producer. The new scheme takes a producer's previous annual milk production, divided by 365...

Members are not all producers!(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Last month we reported that North Milk had 43 producing members supplying Arla Foods at Claymore, Nairn, in the north of Scotland. In fact it is 43 members of which only 27 are actually milk producers. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Defra famr gate price up fraction.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Milk price analysit Stephen Bradley comments on the industry developments The latest Defra UK monthly average farm gate milk price analysis puts the average milk price (including retrospective bonuses) for Jul'04 milk supplies up just a...

Westbury moves with EODC bonus.
October 13, 2004... Westbury Dairies is to introduce a new #5/day bonus from Oct'04 to those direct suppliers able to facilitate and guarantee EODC 365 days of the year. The existing volume bonus (starting at 750,000ltrs/yr supply) is also to be increased by...

Arla Foods to cut 0.4p from directs.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Arla Foods cut its direct supply milk price by a flat 0.4ppl from Sept'04. As the company is still identifying which farmers are destined to be ASDA suppliers, the 0.4ppl price cut will apply to all members of AMP taking our standard litre...

Paynes Dairies follows others with price drop.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Liquid milk processor Paynes Dairies, Ripon, Yorkshire, has mirrored the Arla Foods 0.4ppl price drop from Sept'04. The cut takes our price down from 19.7ppl to 19.3ppl. Meanwhile the heat is being turned up in the middle ground liquid...

Big boost for fortified milk.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Specialised sectors of the dairy industry involved in developing fortified milks will be encouraged by recent research published in the journal Nutrition. Results showed that omega-3 fortified milk can help reduce the risk of heart disease. ...

Dip and go.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Dairy Crest is putting #3.5m behind the UK's leading cheddar brand, Cathedral City. Part of this is a new national TV advertising campaign starting this autumn that will also feature the Cathedral City Dip & Go product. This is a pack of five...

Natural fatty acid scores best.
October 13, 2004... Continuing the research on lowering cholesterol levels, new data from Southampton and Reading Universities has shown that a naturally- occurring fatty acid found in meat and dairy foods could help lower cholesterol. Natural CLA (conjugated...

Butter promotion will put emphasis on taste.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... English butter is getting a major push this autumn with the launch of a new taste guarantee promotion from Country Life. Five million packs of Country Life Butter and Country Life Spreadable will carry the line: `You'll Love the Taste -...

Hartington basks in golden summer.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2004... Famous for its Stilton, Dairy Crest's Hartington Creamery in Derbyshire has scooped no less than 11 gold prizes at shows this summer. Apart from its Blue Stilton, milk sourced from local farmers for the Hartington Creamery is used for White...

Good Evans: Conundrum: how do you squeak-up an urban fox?
October 13, 2004... Impersonating the squeak of an injured rabbit may raise the curiosity of the most indolent of rural foxes but your average urban fox has probably never seen a wild rabbit let alone heard one. So what do you do? I can remember very clearly...

Environment: Looking for ways to avoid water pollution.
October 27, 2004... If current thinking is anything to go by, there could be drastic changes ahead for most producers, especially where livestock is concerned. David Matthews gives us a glimpse into the problems facing the industry. There's no doubt that the...

Entry Level Scheme: how to collect your points.
October 27, 2004... The phasing out of Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Countryside Stewardship is now under way and the Environmental Stewardship Scheme, a tiered scheme with an Entry Level and Higher Level, will replace them early next year. FWAG's field...

Entry Level: Benefits to the farm business.
October 27, 2004... The example given highlights a few of options available under ELS. But there are two other options likely to appeal to dairy farmers include growing a spring cereal to be harvested as whole crop silage followed by an overwintered stubble, worth...

Housing: Why we must reduce risk of slurry ponding.(slurry ponding)
October 27, 2004... Slurry ponding creates massive health problems most notably as a result of softened feet. Livestock building expert Dr Mike Kelly is currently involved with a small team in a MDC project working on digital dermatitis. Slurry ponding...

Set-aside: Warning: don't get caught out by new set-aside rules.(Interview)
October 27, 2004... While the CAP reforms will have a number of implications for all dairy farms, it is the changes to the set-aside rules that have caused the most immediate confusion. Some all-grass farms and those who in the past have kept within the small farm...

Spreading: Slurry spreading now gets pinpoint accuracy.
October 27, 2004... Muck and slurry spreading is on the verge of taking a huge technological leap forward with new systems that allow variable application rates to be made using GPS accuracy. If you think it sounds just a little too futuristic then think again, as...

Compaction: Ways to spread the weight of heavy tankers.
October 27, 2004... The unseen damage caused by heavy single axle slurry tankers can lead to grass silage production losses as high as 15 to 20% in the wheelings. That is the message from Dutch firm Duport which stresses that slurry tanker users should consider...

Compaction: Four wheels on the same axle.(Kamps de Wild)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2004... Dutch firm Kamps de Wild feels that the way forward is to fit a single axle with four wheels! Dubbed the Double Twin, according to export manager Erwin Ros the firm has sold more than it expected, which includes 8.5, 10, 14 and 16cu m versions....

Spreaders: What's new in the marketplace?(K and K Whistance)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2004... Many of the recent developments surrounding muck and slurry spreaders are designed to make existing machines easier to use. How about a new system which reduces the number of hydraulic hoses that need to be connected to the rear of the tractor?...

Spreaders: Smaller version.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2004... If you are in the market for one of the smaller muckspreaders then you might like to know that Jeantil has now added a new compact model to its range. Designated the EVR 8-6 (8 tonnes/6cu m), and sold in the UK by Rustons Engineering, the...

Spreaders: Going one stage bigger!(Side Delivery Spreader)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2004... While the 1600-gallon (7200 litre) capacity solid muck spreader remains the most popular dairy farmer model, large-scale users are looking for bigger capacities. That is the message from Richard Western where the company has just added a...

Spreaders: Cutting down on those hydraulic connections.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2004... Hydraulically operated rear doors, road lights and chain drive mechanisms used on today's muck spreaders can result in as many as eight hydraulic hoses needing to be plugged into the back of the tractor. JF's Link not only reduces this to just...

Spreaders: Fast emptying time for all materials.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2004... The latest version of Keenan's Orbital spreader boasts a host of new features designed to provide for quicker and easier operation. Added as a direct response to customer feedback, new features include a sealed back door, a new drive system,...

Spreaders: Simplified loading.(Harry West )(Brief Article)
October 27, 2004... By angling the front mesh guard further forward, Harry West has managed to simplify the loading process of its 10 tonne (8.7cu m) capacity rear discharge spreader. Other changes to the machine, that was first launched three years ago,...

Spreaders: Low ground pressure.(High-speed tandem axle vacuum tankers)(ST2200 LP)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2004... High-speed tandem axle vacuum tankers might provide for good road performance but in the field these can lead to scuffing when making tight turns at the headland. With this in mind comes a new single axle low ground pressure version from...

Spreaders: Abbey Machinery.(trailing shoe slurry applicator)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2004... Abbey Machinery's range of vacuum tankers can now be fitted with a trailing shoe slurry applicator. Fitting in somewhere between an injector and a band spreader, the trailing shoe is claimed to combine the best features of both systems....

Spreaders: High capacity injector.(Spreadwise )(Brief Article)
October 27, 2004... Cost aside, one of the limiting factors with slurry injectors is that the capacity is a lot lower than that provided by a splash-plate system. If you are looking to go underground and yet maintain high workrates, then Spreadwise has developed a...

Spreaders: Slurry blaster.(RKM Agro Technik)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2004... Designed as a high-capacity, low ground pressure system for work in wet conditions, the Danish-made Direct Ground Injection (DGI) slurry system blasts slurry into the ground at pressures of 5-8 bar and speeds of 60mph! Made by RKM Agro...

Good Evans: How I became a leading Shorthorn breeder overnight!
October 27, 2004... As a result of the no small matter of an extra 140 acres to cope with, our intrepid hero is expanding cow numbers and somewhat unexpectedly finds himself the proud owner of seven Dairy Shorthorns no less. But will he be able to hack it as token...