Kategorie: News

In Germany now all farms with more than 20 hectares or 50 large livestock units (50 cow) or more than 750 kilogram supplied nitrogen are required to do mineral bookkeeping. It concerns the supply and removal of nitrogen and phosphorus, for example via feed, milk, animals and fertilizer. When buying additional feed, the N and P quantities must be taken into account and documented. Another important flow of nutrients results from the purchase and sale of animals. In dairy farms the nitrogen and phosphorus in the milk sold must also be balanced

In the Belgian region of Flanders, the most important dairy region, a survey by the Flemish milk control station MCC Vlaanderen shows that 44 percent of dairy farmers who cows dry off selectively sometimes use antibiotics and four percent never use antibiotics. Of the respondents who dry off selectively, 88 percent do so because they think it is important to use less antibiotics, 56 percent because of the financial benefit, 13 percent because preventive use is prohibited and 9 percent because their vet advises it. Of the respondents, 81.2 percent indicated that udder health has remained the same as with dry off with antibiotics, 12.5 percent indicated that udder health has improved and 3.1 percent said it has become worse. The farms of the survey had 24 to 350 cows with an average tank somatic cell count of 163000 cells per millilitre, varying between 60000 to 290000.

In Belgium in 2022 a number of 45 cattle was tested as infected with Besnoitiosis. The infection is caused by the parasite Besnoitia besnoiti. The infected animals were imported from countries were Besnoitiosis is more common. In 2021 in Belgium ten cattle were tested positive, in 2020 three.

In Belgium a study shows that when the opportunities of A2A2 milk are explored this offers opportunities for the dairy industry in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium and the main dairy region. Current about one third of the Flemish dairy cows produces A2A2 milk.

The Holland headquartered DSM which has developed the rumen methane-reducing feed additive, 3-nitro-oxypropanol (3-NOP) for cattle (with the brand name Bovaer) is working on the development of a slow release kind of the additive that is suitable for grazing cattle and for farms that are feeding once or twice a day. This because the current Bovaer additive is only effective three hours.

The current Dutch CEO of the Holland headquartered dairy cooperative RoyalFrieslandCampina mr. Hein Schumacher will on July 1, become the new CEO of Unilever. Hein Schumacher joined FrieslandCampina in 2014 and became CEO in 2018.

In Holland, also farmers that do not participate in European agricultural schemes must maintain buffer strips along ditches this year, despite the fact that the government stated in December that this would not be necessary until 2024. They are not allowed to spread manure and to use chemicals on these strips. This applies to grassland as well as to maize and other crops. The same applies to sowing catch crops after a main crop on sandy and loess soil. The purpose of catch crops is to prevent the leaching of nitrogen and other minerals. Catch crops must be sown before 1 October this year. Farmers who do not comply with the accelerated measures will be cut back on the amount of nitrogen they can use on their land next year.

In Holland a study of the accountancy ABAB shows that on dairy farms that do more field work by their own the average milk production and the balance per cow is lower than on dairy farms that let do more field work by contracters. The study shows also that farms that spend more time on making the daily feed ration, feed more time a day and push the feed more often a day to the feeding fence also realize a higher average milk production and balance per cow.

In Holland in 2022 was 17 times cattle attacked by wolves. Totally 300 attacks of wolves were registered. Totally more than 500 farm animals were killed, mainly sheep. There are tens of wolves in Holland.

In Holland in 2022 a volume of 13.8 million tons milk was processed. Of this 58 went into cheese, 13 percent into milk powder, eight percent into consumers milk, five percent into condensed milk, three percent into butter and 13 percent into other products.
In Holland the average somatic cell count of cow milk increased from 186000 in 2021 to 209000 in 2022. However: the increase is mainly due to the use of new international reference materials in 2022. It was expected that this would increase the measured cell count by 12 percent. With the same udder health, the somatic cell count would then be 208000.

In Holland dairy farmers can count on a relatively high milk price in the coming years, expects the CEO of the Holland headquartered dairy cooperative RoyalFrieslandCampina. This is due to decreasing milk production due to the phasing out of the derogation and fewer dairy farms. At the same time, dairy processors will want to maintain their turnover, which will lead to more competition for milk.

In Holland, in a small northern region, in the last week of 2022 and the first two weeks of 2033 eight dairy farms have lost their Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) free status. On three of the farms even cows died. Because of this cattle shows have been canceled. In whole 2022 Holland had only 12 positive tank milk tests and seven positive nasal swabs. Later on also on two other farms cows were positive tested. In a neighboring German region some beef farms are tested positive.

In Great Britain a new Assured Integrated Milk Supplier (AIMS) scheme has been introduced. The covers milk which is supplied between dairy trading and processing companies as part of commercial agreements. The purpose of the AIMS scheme is to create a status of Assured Supplier for the participating dairies (Scheme Members). When trading milk between the schemes’ members, the receiving dairy can be confident that the milk being supplied will meet the standards expected and so provenance is assured.

In Ireland, in 2023 dairy farmers have to deal with nitrogen excretion rates per cow based on milk production per cow. Previous a general average excretion of 89 kilograms of nitrogen per dairy cow was used. Currently, the excretions used for cows with a milk production of less than 4500 kilograms per year are: 80 kilograms of organic nitrogen per cow per year. With a production of 4500 to 6500 kilograms of milk per cow per year, an excretion of 92 kilograms of nitrogen applies. With an average production of 6500 kilograms of milk or more, an excretion of 106 kilograms of nitrogen applies. The excretion rate has influence on how much nitrogen is allowed to add on land.

Irish dairies got in 2022 a volume of 8820 billion (10*9) litres cow milk supplied which was 0.7 percent more than in 2021. This milk had a content of 4.28 percent butterfat which was 0.05 percent more than in 2021. Protein content was 3.55 percent which was the same as in 2021.

The Irish Farmers’ Association is in negotiation with the Irish government about a plan of genotyping all dairy cows, heifers and calves. This would not be done by use of hear samples but by tagging. Main point of discussion are the cost of the plan. This would be around 22 euro per animal. When in the first year all dairy cattle would be genotyped this would costs 40 million euro but in later years only calves would have to be genotyped which would reduce costs to around 20 million euro.

In Sweden and in Denmark the dairy cooperative Arla has a surplus of organic milk supply by farmers. Because of this Arla will reduce the transition period from organic to conventional milk production by dairy farms from 12 to 3 months.

In Sweden, Arla will close the fresh milk plant in Sundsvall and move the production to Kallhäll just outside Stockholm. The local products Jämtlandsmjölk and Långfil produced in Sundsvall will also disappear. About 100 people work in Sundsvall, of which about 40 work in the dairy. Arla’s distribution activities will remain in Sundsvall.

The Swedish Patent and Market Court has decided that the claims made by the Denmark headquartered dairy cooperative Arla about a „zero net climate footprint“ of some dairy products are misleading. On some dairy products Arla mentioned that Arla protected rainforests as compensation for the CO2 emission during the production. However: Arla could not prove that this really was done. Arla has stopped the campaign in which „zero net climate footprint“ was used.

The European Union and Chile have agreed to expand their trade relations. With 99.9 percent of EU exports to Chile duty-free, the EU expects an increase in its exports of up to 4.5 billion (10*9) euros. Among other things, Chile will liberalize imports of dairy products and food preparations from the EU. The existing tariff quotas for EU cheese will continue to apply temporarily, but are to be liberalized over seven years at the latest. Chile has assured the EU that it will take into account the protection of geographical designations.