Autor: TH-Mann

Belgians biggest dairy cooperative Milcobel has sold its Dutch cheese trading daughter company Dupont cheese to the Dutch Vandersterre Group and will get the name Vandersterre.

In Holland a team of dairy economic specialists predict that next eight to ten years the farmers milk price will have an average of 36 euro per 100 kilogram. This is 50 eurocent per 100 kilogram more than the prediction of last year. The prediction is based on information of the EU agricultural outlook.

In Holland, as part of the new climate action plan, the government will make money available for (dairy) farmers on peat soils that will stop farming and for measures to avoid settling of peat soil. This because settling peat soils means also emission of CO2. Measures to avoid this are among other under water drainage and a higher water level. This measures make dairy farming harder. The government will change 10000 hectare peat soil from agriculture use into nature land.

In Holland the number of member dairy farms of the dairy cooperative Royal FrieslandCampina that have applied for the pasturing bonus has increased from 81.2 percent in 2018 to 83.0 percent in 2019. To get the pasturing bonus of one cent per kilogram milk the cows have to be at least 120 day of six hours or more per day on pasture.

In Holland provisional results of a research project by Wageningen University and Research show that farms that active extend the lactation of cows by later inseminating have less health and fertility problems and have less unpredictable work.

The Dutch dairy industry produced in 2018 a volume of 289.9 million kilogram nitrogen, which is 13.6 million kilogram less than in 2017.

Dutch dairy farms produces in 2018 78.7 million kilogram phosphate which is 8.0 million kilogram less than in 2017. The Dutch national phosphate quota for the dairy industry is 84.9 million kilogram. However: this is more than 8 million kilogram more than the national dairy nitrogen quota. The lower production of phosphate and nitrogen is mainly caused by the decrease of the number of cows after the introduction of phosphate quota per farm. After this the number of dairy cows decrease about 60000 head or four percent. The number of youngstock decreased 150000 head or 14 percent.

In Holland in 2018 the use of antibiotics on dairy cows decreased average 0.4 day doses per cow. In kilogram for the whole dairy industry the use of antibiotics decreased 1.1 percent and the last ten years 63.8 percent.

In Holland provisional results of a practical test by Wageningen University and Research show that adding water to liquid manure when adding this on a peat turf can lower the ammonia emissions by 40 percent.

In Holland, measuring by Wageningen University and Research in three freewalk barn with wood chips as bedding material shows that the ammonia emission is 9.0 kilogram per cow place per year which is 31 percent less than in a conventional freestall barn with a concrete slatted floor. However: the emission of greenhouse gasses (methane) was 189.9 kilogram per cow place per year which is 34 percent more than in a conventional freestall barn.

In Ireland of the more than 18000 dairy herds 6500 are in a milk recording program, according to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation ICBF. Together there are 707000 cows are in a milk recording program which is 14.7 percent more than one year ago but is only almost half of the national dairy herd.

In Ireland 70 percent of dairy farmers their households have an income also from else as the farm according to the Irish Farms Accounts Cooperative IFAC. The last four years the profit dairy farms made increased from 850 to 1236 euro per hectare. This was including EU farm subsidies.

The Denmark based dairy cooperative Arla has agreed a new licence for the Middle East cheese business with Kraft Heinz. This gives Arla the right to use for the next 12 years the Kraft brand in that region on the cheese portfolio acquired from Mondeléz International which had such an agreement with Kraft Heinz. In Dezember last year Arla has reached an agreement with American multinational confectionery, food, and beverage company Mondeléz International (“Mondeléz”) to acquire its processed cheese business in the Middle East region, which already were licensed under the Kraft brand.

In Sweden pioneering member farmers of the Denmark headquartered dairy cooperative Arla are starting to turn their cow’s manure into biogas which is powering Arla milk trucks in Sweden. The cow manure of the Arla farmers in Sweden corresponds to 54 million litres of diesel, according to Arla. The biogas initiative in Sweden is part of Arla’s policy to become net zero in 2050.

In Finland the consumption of milk decreased last year by almost five percent from the previous year. The consumption of skimmed milk decreased by nearly nine percent, and that of low-fat milk decreased by approximately three percent. The consumption of whole milk was almost at the level of the previous year. All in all, approximately 107 litres of milk was consumed per capita last year, of which nearly a third was skimmed milk, 57 percent was low-fat milk and just over tenper cent was whole milk. On average, the consumption of dairy products either declined slightly or remained unchanged. The consumption of yoghurt remained at the previous year’s level. The consumption of sour milk and curdled milk (viili) decreased by four to five percent. The consumption of other milk-based products, such as flavoured quarks, grew. In 2018, the total consumption of liquid milk products was 155 kilograms per capita, or approximately three percent less than in the previous year. The consumption of cheese remained almost unchanged at 26 kilograms. The consumption of butter was also of the same order as in the previous year at 3.5 kilograms.

The European Commission forecasts that in 2019 the EU milk production will increase 0.7 percent.

In France in 2018 on milk recording farms the average dairy cow realized 2.4 full lactations. Four or more lactations were realized by 21.3 percent of the dairy cows. The average 305 days milk yield was 7396 kilogram milk with 3.93 percent fat and 3.19 percent protein. Of the cows 65.7 percent was Holstein, 17.9 percent was Montbeliarde, 7.9 percent was Normande and 8.4 percent were other breeds. Average 305 production of Holsteins was 7969 kg milk with 3.91 percent fat and 3.14 percent protein; of Montbeliarde 6565 kg milk with 3,86 percent fat and 3.28 percent protein; of Normande 5880 kg milk with 4.17 percent fat and 3.41 percent protein. (Source: Institut de l’ Elevage)

Austria had in 2018 a number of 26600 milk supplying farm. This was 3.6 percent less than in 2017. Average farm had 20 cows with an average milk production of 6363 kilogram. Average milk supply per farm increased from 120 to 127.5 tons. With this, Austrian farms supplied in 2018 a total volume of 3.4 million tons milk to dairy cooperatives and others. This was 2.3 percent more than in 2017. For their supply they received average 53290 euro which was 4.6 percent more than in 2017. The supply of organic milk was 569000 tons which was 17.9 percent or the total milk supply.

Austria sheep hay milk and goat hay milk have been acknowledged by the European Commission as a guaranteed traditional specialty. Cow hay milk got this already in 2016. Hay milk comes from cows goats and sheep that in winter get traditional (dry) hay, in summer they are on pasture. Austrian sheep milk and goat milk is mainly used for making cheese.

In Germany in April compared to March the raw material or compound value of milk at farm decreased 0.3 eurocent to 30.6 eurocent per kilogram milk with 4.0 percent fat and 3.4 percent protein (exclusive VAT). This is 0.1 eurocent more 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 March 2020 until May 2020 and July 2020 until November 2020 at 36.5 eurocent. The lowest future price is the price for May 2019 at 33.2 and June 2019 at 24.2 eurocent. www.ife-ev.de