TheDairySite Newsletter - 15 January 2010

TheDairySite Weekly Newsletter

Friday 15th January 2010

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Disease Control

Following confirmation last week that foot and mouth disease had been found in South Korea, a second case has been identified. The outbreak of the disease has led to the closure of five markets in the area.

Progress is being made in the eradication of TB in West Wales, as a limited badger cull, alongside stricter cattle movement and monitoring measures, will take place in a pilot area of West Wales.

Increasing sales of Canadian dairy genetics to international markets is priority for the Canadian government. A four-year AgriMarketing Programme will see $88 million invested to assist producers and processors in increasing exports of Canada's "safe, high-quality, world-class products around the world".

Despite the difficult weather conditions across the UK this week, which has left some farmers with a shortage of shelter and feed, the agriculture industry has won a big victory. Earlier in the week, the government announced that it would establish an ombudsman to police the grocery supply chain - a move that will create better transparency and fairness in the food sector.

US corn production has broken all previous records at a projected total of 13.2 billion bushels.

Charlotte Johnston

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 4 new features this week:

Spring Rotation Planner
Additional grazing in spring can improve profits by â‚¬2.70/cow. Grazing February, March and April will reduce production costs in spring and encourage excellent milk production for the rest of the year, says Sean McCarthy and James Moyles, Teagasc dairy advisers.

Importance Of Forage Quality
Forage is the most important component in the diet of dairy cattle because of the dramatic impact it has on dry matter and nutrient consumption. The quality and form of forage are two of the factors that have been shown to influence dry matter consumption and milk production in dairy cattle, says Richard O' Kellems from the Animal Science Department, Brigham Young University.

Improving The Odds With Sex-Sorted Semen
In the right circumstances, using sex-sorted semen in virgin heifers can offer a financial opportunity, says Blair Murray - Dairy Genetic Improvement Specialist/OMAFRA.

World Agricultural Supply And Demand Estimates
According to the latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates from the USDA's World Agricultural Outlook Board (WOAB), cattle weights are expected to be lower, reducing beef production, whilst milk production is set to increase.

Company News

Bovine Genomic Test Expands DNA Evaluation
US - A new genomic test that will expand the breadth of cattle DNA evaluation by almost a thousand-fold from a current 56-marker technology to predictions that utilise more than 50,000 markers, will be released by Pfizer Animal Health later this month.

VIV India: Providing Knowledge, Sharing Visions
INDIA - The theme of the opening conference of VIV India 2010 will be 'Food security'. VIV India takes place in Bangalore on 1 to 3 February 2010.

Date Change for VIV China 2010
CHINA - VNU Exhibitions Europe, organiser of the VIV trade shows, announces a date change for VIV China 2010. VIV China will take place from 6 to 8 September 2010 at the New China International Exhibition Center in Hall West 1, 2 and 3.

Global Dairy Cattle Industry News