Autor: TH-Mann

In Holland, practical research of Wageningen University and Research shows that mixing liquid manure of dairy cows does not result in a lower ammonia exhaust.

In Holland, practical research of Wageningen University and Research shows that mixing liquid manure of dairy cows does not result in a lower ammonia exhaust.

The Holland headquartered dairy cooperative Royal FrieslandCampina lost between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019 230 members. Most of them left already last year. Members that left got a premium of five euro per 100 kilogram milk delivered on annual base.

In Holland this year until July were 377 robot milking boxes installed. This is almost as much as in whole 2019 (386). Of all dairy farms 25 percent is now milking with robot.

In Holland, the dairy cooperative Royal FrieslandCampina increases the number of member dairy farmers that produce farm milk in conformity with the German VLOG standard from 400 to 600. In this way, the dairy company wants to meet the German market demand for Dutch cheese in which milk has been processed from cows that are given feed free from gene technology and graze outside. In 2017, the dairy started a pilot with a number of 183 member dairy farmers for the production of milk in conformity with the VLOG standard. VLOG (Verband Lebensmittel Ohne Gentechnik) is a German association responsible for the certification and issuing of the ‘Ohne Gentechnik’ label. VLOG certification has impact on the whole chain from cow feed, dairy farm, logistics, milk processing to the shelf. The goal is to produce products without the use of gene technology. Important conditions for meeting the VLOG standard are that participating dairy farmers give their cows feed that is free from gene technology. Additionally participants apply full outside grazing at their farms. Also, the dairy processor has to guarantee that this milk is processed in a separate milk stream. Dairy farms that produce according to the VLOG standard receive an extra reward of 1 cent per kg of milk on top of the outdoor grazing premium.

In the UK the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers states that prime minister Boris Johnson must consider the drastic implications leaving the EU without a deal could have on our already strained overseas labour network. EU-labour is making a significant contribution to dairy businesses with farms becoming more reliant on overseas labour with 56% of respondents (2016) employing staff from outside the UK in the last five years compared with just 32% in 2014 and that the government must realise that these gaps will not be filled by British workers. A survey shows that of 2000 UK adults only four percent is willing to consider job roles on a dairy farm.

In the United Kingdom last year the Denmark headquartered dairy cooperative Arla unveiled a farming standards model called ‘Arla UK 360’ to bring sustainable change to dairy farming in the UK. The Arla UK 360 program covers the six areas essential to building a profitable, responsible dairy farm business. It incorporates best practice in today’s dairy farming across animal health and welfare, people development, environment and natural resources, community engagement and economic resilience and reinvestment, and will then drive a vision for research and development areas that will lead the UK dairy agenda, Arla states. As part of Arla UK 360 Arla has decided that starting 1-1-2020 it will no longer be allowed that calves born on an Arla members farm will before eight weeks of age will be slaughtered or euthanized. To help farmers with this Arla has made an agreement with UK supermarket chain Morrisons that it will sell veal of those calves. For this the farmers can sell the calves to the veal producer Buitelaar.

In Ireland for the average dairy farm the electricity costs vary from 2.60 to 8.70 euro per 1000 litres sold milk.

In Northern Ireland after a no-deal Brexit 45000 dairy cows could be culled. Now Northern Ireland exports annual about 700 to 800 million litres of milk to the Irish republic. With a no-deal Brexit EU-import tariffs would make Northern Irish milk much less competitive. In that case Northern Ireland would have a surplus of milk and farmers would have to sell cows for culling, according to the BBC.

In Finland the number of dairy farms has dropped under 6.000. In June there were 5992 dairy farms. That was nine percent less than in June 2018 when there were 6566 dairy farms. During the year 2018 on average 1.5 dairy farms per day stopped milk production. In the 2000 Finland had still over 20000 dairy farms, in 2010 there were about 10000 dairy farms. It is expected that in 2020 there will be about 5000 farms producing milk.

Several European farmers organization abuse the new trade agreement between the EU and south American countries organized in Mercosur. However: the European Dairy Association (EDA), in which European milk processors are united, welcomes the new agreement. EDA states that the new agreement offers much better conditions for much more European dairy products to south America. Among others the new export contingent of cheese of 30000 tonnes is about ten times the current export volume, EDA states.

 

Again the USA government have announced to the EU extra import duties on dairy products because of the EU gives subsidies to Airbus. Added dairy products are curdled milk, whey protein concentrates, dairy spreads and cheese.

The EU stocks of skimmed milk powder have now disappeared. The EU has sold the last 162 tonnes skimmed milk powder so the stocks have now disappeared. The last 162 tonnes have been sold at a price of 1759 euro per ton.

Russia has extended the import ban on among others dairy products from among others the EU, USA and Canada until the end of 2020. The Russian import ban is a reaction on sanctions of the mentioned countries against Russia after the Russian annexation of the Crimea and the support of Russia of western Ukraine separatists.

 

The France headquartered private dairy Lactalis has bought the USA based Commonwealth Dairy from the German based private dairy Ehrmann. Commonwealth Dairy has in the USA two plant that mainly produce yogurt.

In Austria the lower house of the parliament has adopted a proposal for a total ban of glyphosate use in Austria.

 

In Germany in June compared to May the raw material or compound value of milk at farm fell 1.0 eurocent to 31.0 eurocent per kilogram milk with 4.0 percent fat and 3.4 percent protein (exclusive VAT). This is 5.8 eurocent less than in the same month last year. The highest future price of milk for the next 18 months on the Kieler Börsenmilchwert European Energy Exchange is the price for January 2021 at 35.9 eurocent. The lowest future price is the price for July 2019 at 31.8 eurocent. www.ife-ev.de

German organic dairy farmers delivered in 2018 to dairies a volume of 1117821 tonnes cow milk, compared to 939081 tonnes in 2017 and 794718 tonnes in 2016.

Germany had in May 2019 a number of 4.07 million dairy cows which is the lowest number ever. The number of dairy farms was 61087, also the lowest number ever. Last three years 10000 farms stopped producing milk.

Belgian dairy farms delivered in 2018 almost 78 million kilogram organic milk which was almost 30 percent more than in 2017. Of the total Belgian milk production in 2018 was almost two percent organic which was 24 percent more than in 2017.