Kategorie: News

The Rabobank Global Dairy Top 20 2020, is the latest survey of the world’s largest dairy companies in 2019. Merger and acquisition activity during 2019 totalled 115 deals, three more than in 2018. Dairy Farmers of America acquired the previous ranked 11 Dean Foods in early 2020, boosting year-on-year sales by 47.5 percent. Increasing fierce competition in China’s domestic market forces companies to look for overseas growth but this is becoming more challenging. For example China’s largest dairy company Yili realized year-on-year growth of nearly 20 percent due in part to its acquisition of the New Zealand based Westland cooperative. However: Nestlé divested some of its non-core dairy assets and sold its USD 1.8 billion (10*9) US-based ice cream business along with other assets. Organic growth was not enough to retain Danone’s ranking and moved to the fourth position. To compare: in 2017 Danone ranked position 2 after several acquisitions in that year. Consolidation of key dairy assets by Fonterra and and FrieslandCampina resulted in lower year-on-year sales in both US dollars and euros and each lost two positions in this rank. Arla Foods also dropped two positions in this rank but did manage to post a year-on-year gain in euros. Dairy farmers in New Zealand and Europe are facing greater environmental constraints which are limiting growth of their dairies also. Because of that their dairies are likely to focus on value strategies and rationalization of plant capacity. Entering the Global Dairy Top 20 this year, from the world’s largest milk producing country India is Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation with USD 5.5 billion in 2019, up 17 percent from the prior year.

The EU exported in the first six month of 2020 59 percent more butter, 10 percent more cheese, 15 percent more whole milk powder and 16 percent less skimmed milk powder,

Drinking cow milk based on grass is better for the environment than artificial milk based on soya and palm ingredients, according to British researchers. This among others because soya meal from land that not long ago was converted from wood or natural grass land to arable land has a high carbon foot print. Also the production of artificial milk based on soya and palm is less environmental friendly than the production of milk by cows, in particular when the feed ration of cows does not contain ingredients from soya or palm. Source: Journal of Applied Animal Nutrition.

The European Commission has explained that the Austrian plans to ban the use of glyphosate in whole Austria is illegal to EU legislation.

In Italy the dairy farm Agricola Zani has reached a number of 94 black and white Holstein Friesian cows that crossed the border of 100 000 kilogram milk production. This is the highest number in Italy.

The Austrian state Tirol has 2100 alps which are used for pasturing cattle, mainly dairy cattle. Last 20 years the number of dairy cows on Tirol alps has decreased 10 percent. The number of alps with less than 20 cows has fallen almost 50 percent. To support the dairy farms on alps, the state subsidies dairy farms with alps in 2020 and 2021 with 120 euro per cow on alps.

In Germany in August compared to July the raw material or compound value of milk at farm decreased 0.2 eurocent to 29.9 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 February 2022 and March 2022 at 33.8 eurocent. The lowest future price is the price for September 2020 at 30.7 eurocent. www.ife-ev.de

In Germany in the first six months of 2020 compared to one year before, dairies took in 0.5 percent more milk, produced 5.0 percent more skimmed milk powder, 2.8 percent more cheese and 1.5 percent more butter, and consumers bought almost 40 percent more long storable organic milk than one year before.

In Germany new welfare regulations oblige that calve until an age of six month have to have housing with a soft or elastic transformable floor.

In Germany, the northern university of Kiel has starting measuring methane emission of dairy cows. Provisional results show that Jersey cows emit around 200 gram methane per cow per day and Holstein Friesian cows around 400 gram per cow per day.

In the Belgian northern part Flanders the government has announced a law that obliges to offer shadow to pasturing animals.

In Holland a study of the animal service Royal GD shows that first calvings result twice as much as later calvings in a death birth. The study also shows that multiple births result 2.5 times as much as single births in death births.

In Holland, a study of Wageningen University & Research shows that the 25 percent of the dairy farms that perform the best on durability also achieve better economic results. Their critical milk price is average 2.5 euro per 100 kilogram milk lower than that of the remaining 75 percent of the farms. The farms were classified on durability with help of four categories: animal health and welfare; climate and energy; environment and biodiversity; pasturing.

The United Kingdom (Great Britain plus Northern Ireland) exported in 2019 434 tonnes of cheese to Japan which was 90 percent more than in 2018. Total UK cheese export in 2019 was 208000 tonnes.

Great Britain had on July 1, 2020 a number of 1.68 million dairy cows which was 51000 head or 2.9 percent less than one year before. It is estimates that around 25 percent of the British dairy farmers is reducing milk production as a reaction of the corona impact.

In Finland compared to previous year, in January-July 2020: milk production: was plus 2 percent; production of liquid dairy products was minus 3 percent; butter production was plus 5 percent;  cheese production was plus 3 percent.

Finland has soon had automatic milking for 20 years. The first milking robot started milking in November 2000 in a private dairy farm in south-western Finland. The first robot, a Delaval, was after 15 years fulltime job donated to the Finnish agricultural museum in August. In the beginning of 2020 there were 1863 automatic milking places in 1201 dairy farms. At the same time there were 5788 dairy farms in Finland. So 20.7 percent of the dairy farms are milking with a AMS, but 45 to 50 percent of the milk is now milked by AMS. In 2000 when the automatic milking started there were 21564 dairy farms in Finland.

Austria had in 2019 28200 milk sheep which was 0.6 percent less than in 2018. Average milk production was 432 kilogram which was 3.4 percent less than in 2018. Together they produced 12200 tons of milk which was four percent less than in 2018. Of this 9900 tons (80.9 %) was used for human consumption and 2200 tons (18.1 %) was fed to animals and one percent was booked as lost.
Austria had in 2019 a number of 39000 milk goats which was one percent more than in 2018. Together they produced 26500 tons of milk which was 1.6 percent more than in 2018. Average milk production was 680 kilogram (+0.6%). Of the total production of 26500 tons 23700 tons (89.5%) was used for human consumption and 2500 tons or 9.5 percent was fed to animals.

In Austria in 2019 the production of cow milk decreased one percent to 3781000 tons. Of this volume 89.3 percent went to processing dairies. Of the rest of 244000 tons or 6.5 percent was on the farm fed to calves and other animals and 122000 tons or 3.2 percent was on the farm processed and or direct used or sold for human consumption.
In Austria in 2019 the number of dairy cows decreased 2.1 percent to 527000 head and their average milk production increased 1.1 percent to 7200 kilogram.
Austrian dairies took in 2019 a volume of 584974 tons organic milk in. This was 18.6 percent of the total milk intake and 16611 tons or 2.9 percent more than in 2018. Production of almost all organic dairy products increased. Production of organic drink milk increased 9.9 million kilogram or eight percent to 130 million kilogram. Main increase was made with pasteurized drink milk with 3.5 percent fat. Production of this increased 7.4 million kilogram. Main part of organic drink milk was still extended shelf life (E.S.L.) milk with 3.5 percent fat. Of this was 71.6 million kilogram produced.

In Austria in 2019 the production of cow milk decreased one percent to 3781000 tons. Of this volume 89.3 percent went to processing dairies. Of the rest of 244000 tons or 6.5 percent was on the farm fed to calves and other animals and 122000 tons or 3.2 percent was on the farm processed and or direct used or sold for human consumption.