Kategorie: News

The France headquartered private dairy Bel Group and the USA based biotech start-up Climax Foods have announced a partnership to create a new generation of plant-based cheese. For this Bel has acquired an equity stake in the company. Bel aims to launch these new plant-based products in Europe and North America by the end of 2024. This will contribute to achieving the Bel Group objective to balance its portfolio with 50 percent of dairy products and 50 percent of plant-based/fruits products.

In Germany in April compared to March 2023 the raw material or compound value of milk at farm decreased 2.3 eurocent to 36.3 eurocent per kilogram milk with 4.0 percent fat and 3.4 percent protein (exclusive VAT). This is 31.2 eurocent less than in the same month one year before. The highest future price of milk for the next 18 months on the Kieler Börsenmilchwert European Energy Exchange is the price for March 2024 at 43.9 eurocent. The lowest future price is the price for May 2023 at 37.4 eurocent.

In Germany research of the Federal Information Center for Agriculture (D) and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) shows that cattle like to eat certain herbs when they have a choice on species-rich grassland. The research was done in in grazing trials on alpine meadows. FiBL has proven that herbs reduce the number of somatic cells and stabilize udder health. Secondary plant compounds in herbs have an antimicrobial and antioxidant effect.

Germany had in 2022 a number of 54800 dairy farms which was 1300 less than in 2021. Their average milk production per cow was in 2022 8499 kilogram which was 18 kilogram more than in 2021. Source: German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food.

In Germany in 2022 the consumption of milk was 46.1 kilogram per capita which was 0.9 kilogram or 1.9 percent less than in 2021. The production of consumption milk decreased 6 percent to 4.2 million tonnes. Production of cheese fell one percent to 2.64 million tonnes. Cheese consumption was 24.6 kilogram per capita which was 0.76 kilogram less than in 2021. Production of butter, milk fat and butter spread products was 465000 tonnes which was 0.1 percent less than in 2021. Consumption of this was 5.3 kilogram per capita which was 12.6 percent less than in 2021. Source: German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food.

In Holland the animal rights organization Wakker Dier has started a public campaign in which it calls on citizens to see whether grazing cows are skinny or dirty, lame, have a large udder or, according to Wakker Dier, there is something else that would bother the cow. Wakker Dier has been trying to put dairy farming and milk in a bad light with commercials on radio and TV for some time now.

In Holland, new advice is that dairy farmers can better manage drier grass silage. Drier grass silage leads to less fermentation and less ammonia. This means that the dryness of the silage can be used to control the quality and usability of the protein by cows. In a dry silage the content of intestinal digester protein is higher and the unstable protein is lower than in a wetter silage. The better usability results in a lower urea number and requires less concentrate supplementation. Very wet silage can have an ammonia fraction of more than 10 percent, while very dry silage can go towards 5 percent.

In Holland, a panel of financial experts in the dairy sector estimates the average farmers‘ milk price up to and including 2033 at 43 euros per 100 kilogram of milk, including all subsequent cash payments and bonuses that are reflected in the cash flow (excluding credits, member account and excluding 9% VAT). This is an increase of 4.50 euros compared to the expected milk price that came about last year. The forecast is partly based on the forecasts in the EU Agricultural Outlook. The panel also expects costs to rise due to, among other things, higher costs for feed, labor and interest in particular. In addition, responding to climate, biodiversity and land-related targets is also expected to increase costs.

In Holland in 2022, 16 frontrunner dairy farms that form the group ‚Cows & Opportunities‘ have achieved an crude protein content of 153 grams per kilogram dry matter in the rations of their dairy cows. This result is equal to the average in 2021. Due to national nitrogen targets, the Dutch government has concluded an agreement with various sector parties to reduce the average crude protein content in the rations of the total dairy herd to 160 grams per kilogram dry matter by 2025. In the project ‚Cows & Opportunities‘ 16 dairy farmers together with researchers are looking for the possibilities of sustainable and socially accepted dairy farming.

In Holland from 2019 until 2021 agricultural ammonia emission decreased 6.4 percent and total agricultural nitrogen emission decreased 8.0 percent.

Scotland will set stricter requirements for the supply of cattle to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis. Scotland is officially free of bovine TB but cases are still occurring. Cattle from areas with more contamination must be tested for b-TB before transport and must be quarantined. Farms that do not comply with this will receive lower compensation in the event of an infection.

In the United Kingdom Arla has reduced the size of its butter block Lurpak and Anchor from 250 grams to 200 grams. This to keep the consumer price lower.

In the United Kingdom the Denmark headquartered dairy cooperative Arla has got a sales contract to the UK’s biggest coffee chain Costa Coffee with 2600 coffee shops to which Arla will supply about 77 million litres milk per year, starting 2024. The milk will be produced on British dairy farms.

In the United Kingdom the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has hosted a roundtable at the House of Lords of the parliament to discuss the growing labour crisis in the dairy industry and outline ways to overcome it. The meeting included government officials, UK colleges, dairy farmers, human resource and people experts, processors and an expert panel member from the Shortage of Labour in the Food and Farming Sector. From covering the immediate labour needs versus the longer labour needs, through identifying and improving the image of dairy farming, the roundtable covered a wide range of important issues to help overcome the issue and identified some key actions to take forward. It is clear that access to foreign labour is something we still need in the short term, according to RABDF. However, for the long term we need to look at a myriad of options from education in schools, brand building, skills development, attracting employees from diverse backgrounds, and setting up a dairy scholarship scheme, as examples, according to RABDF.

In the United Kingdom latest analysis by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) show that strong population growth and limited domestic production in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) could present major opportunities for UK dairy exporters.

In Ireland research shows that breeding can have strong influence on the reduction of methane by cattle. The research with beef cattle showed large differences in daily methane emissions between animals fed the same diet, with 11 percent of these differences being traced to genetic differences. The 20 percent highest emitting animals genetically are expected to emit 30 percent more methane per day compared to the 20 percent lowest emitting animals. The research was done by Teagasc, South East Technological University (SETU), Munster Technological University (MTU) and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF).

The Denmark headquartered dairy cooperative Arla and the German company Südpack have started a large scale test in which plastic used for cheese production is finding new life. Using a pyrolysis process, the plastic is kept within the loop and recycled into new packaging instead of being sent to incineration, so reducing the overall need for virgin plastic as well as the carbon footprint. The pyrolysis process converts plastic waste into oil by exposing it to very high temperatures in a controlled environment. Arla and Südpack will be testing this new setup with 80 tonnes in 2023.

Denmark has a surplus of organic milk. Only half of the volume by farms produced milk is sold to consumers as organic milk, the other half is processed as regular milk. Also other countries have a surplus of organic milk, mainly caused by smaller consumption because of higher consumers prices. In several countries dairies market oR process organic milk as regular milk.

In Finland the Denmark headquartered dairy cooperative Arla and the bird protection and hobby organization BirdLife are joining forces to improve the living conditions of swallows on dairy farms. Dairy farms are important ecosystems for the vitality of swallows. The aim of the project is to help swallows nest on dairy farms and raise awareness around the subject. In Finland, the number of swallows has declined sharply over the past 20 years. The project, which started in spring 2023, involves 20 Arla dairy farms. BirdLife experts visit farms to advise on improving conditions for swallows. A guide has been distributed to all Arla farms, providing tips and resources for improving the habitat of swallows.

In Finland the dairy cooperative Valio’s sustainability bonus programme for dairy farms has been updated. Previously, the sustainability bonus was two cents per milk litre; now farms can earn an additional cent per litre milk for farming practices supporting biodiversity, for grazing their cattle and providing access to outdoor activity, and for efforts aiming to reduce the farm’s carbon footprint. With the update, Valio will pay its dairy farmer owners, through cooperatives, nearly 50 million euros annually for sustainability actions.