TheDairySite Newsletter - 7 January 2011

Friday 7th January 2011

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: UK Dairy Farmers Call for Price Rises to Meet Production Costs

Dairy Crest Direct (DCD), which represents 1,350 Dairy Crest suppliers, is calling for a minimum price of 27p/litre to be delivered as soon as possible.

DCD has highlighted the rising costs of production which are showing no sign of slow down - wheat prices for instance reached the record high of £200/tonne before Christmas.

According to a report prepared by Kite in November, production costs have increased by between 1.5 and 2p/litre over the 2010/11 winter period.

DCD chairman David Herdman said: "Milk prices on non-aligned liquid contracts are at unsustainable levels, at 24.6p/litre, and below the equivalent European, USA and even New Zealand prices."

In China, the food-quality regulator has called on all domestic dairy companies to renew their production licenses this year or face closure.

The move is the latest bid to ensure food safety following a scandal over melamine-tainted baby formula that killed six babies in 2008.

In the US, Northeast Dairy Farmers have reached a settlement agreement with Dean Foods Company in their class action antitrust lawsuit against Dean, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and Dairy Marketing Services (DMS).

The agreement will include $30 million in monetary damages and injunctive relief that calls for Dean to purchase a portion of its raw milk from multiple Northeast sources.

The Indian authorities are investing Rs 50 million to encourage farmers to strengthen and upgrade existing infrastructure to make dairy farming commercially viable.

In the initial phase, 40 dairy farms will be modernised with mechanised equipment as part of the project.

Chris Harris

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 4 new features this week:

Impact Of Feeding DDG On Dairy Farms
The inclusion of distillers grain with solubles (DGS) in the formulations of dairy feed ration is increasing and may continue to grow as the knowledge of these products improves. The cost benefits of feeding Dried Distillers Grains is expected to cause a rapid adoption by feeding programs and nutrient management planning on dairy farms according to advice from the University of Nebraska Lincoln.

Bull Beef Production From Holstein/Friesian Male Calves
The most profitable system of bull beef production is one where early born calves have a long grazing season, are well developed at the start of finishing and so require only a relatively short finishing period, say E.G. O'Riordan and M.G. Keane from the Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc.

Rodent Control in Livestock and Poultry Facilities
Rats and mice have long been a problem on farms where food and nesting sites are plentiful. These animals consume and contaminate food destined for livestock and other animals, as well as humans, according to Brian Lang from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

Salmonella In Cattle In GB - 2009
Overall, the number of cases of salmonella has increased in cattle in the UK, according to the Veterinary Laboratory Agency.

Company News

Pfizer Enters Diagnostics Sector
US - Pfizer Animal Health has announced it is to acquire Synbiotics Corporation and thus enter the diagnostics sector, reaffirming its commitment to providing veterinarians with comprehensive animal health solutions.

Global Dairy Cattle Industry News