Kategorie: News

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

In Germany the dairy cooperative Hohenlohe has introduced a future price program for its members. Farms that annual supply more than 380000 kilogram milk for a maximum of 30 percent of their monthly supply fix a future price for 12 months in advance. The minimum volume of a future price is 10000 kilogram milk per member per month. The dairy cooperative Hohenlohe has about 1000 members that on annual base supply 370 million kilogram milk.

In Belgium in 2018 were 140 new milking installations sold of which 88 (62%) were automatic milking systems.

In Germany the discounter Aldi has introduced pasture milk from cows that is produced under conditions stronger than by law obliged and meets conditions of the German animal welfare organization Tierwohl. Among others the cows have at least 120 days a year entrance to pasture and have the whole year an place outside where they can walk. The maximum herd size of a farm is 600 cows. In the barn the cows have an average moving area of at least six square meter.

In Holland a study by Wageningen Livestock Research shows that the improved phenotype of cows realized by general breeding results in one percent per year less environmental burden.

In Holland the number of dairy farms decreased in 2018 4.8 percent to less than 17000. Together they have 1.62 million dairy cows. For comparison: in 1980 Holland had 67000 dairy farms with 2.36 million dairy cows.

In Holland in 2018 of the 14784 dairy farms that join a milk recording program 60.7 percent is recording one time per six weeks.

The Holland headquartered dairy cooperative Royal FrieslandCampina’s daughter company Zijerveld has acquired W. Bakker Kaashandel B.V. This private company that is specialised in cutting and packaging cheese was founded in 1928 and has 80 employees. RFC has sold its cream liqueur manufacturer Creamy Creation to the Dutch investment company Wagram Equity Partners. Since its establishment in 1979, Creamy Creation has developed itself into a successful player in the segment of alcoholic cream liqueurs. The company has 84 employees.

In Holland provisional results of a field study show that Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) possible can reduce the exhaust of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from pastures.

In Holland an analyses of Alfa Accountants and Advisors shows that contracting out the feeding of cows to a contractor with a mixer feed wagon is the cheapest way of feeding dairy cows compared to feeding with an own self-propelled mixer feed wagon, an own combination of tractor and pulled mixer feed wagon and an automatic feeding system. Feeding by contractors costs average 2.10 euro per 100 kilogram milk. Feeding by an own tractor and pulled mixer feed wagon and by an automatic feeding system both costs 2.80 euro per 100 kilogram milk, feeding by an own self-propelled mixer feed wagon costs 3.30 euro per 100 kilogram milk.

In Holland more than 80 percent of the dairy farms is pasturing cows but only 61 percent of the Dutch cows is pasturing. Bigger farms pasture less but the percentage of bigger farms that is pasturing is (slowly) increasing.