The Australian dairy industry has reinforced its intention to maintain milk flow during COVID-19 concerns, putting practices in place to ensure this happens.
The Australian Dairy Industry Council is aware of footage of dairy farmers in the European Union, United Kingdom and United States having to dump milk due to oversupply caused by the shutdown of restaurants and other bulk buyers to stop the spread of COVID-19.
ADIC chair and Australian Dairy Farmers president Terry Richardson assured farmers there was little risk of milk needing to be dumped in Australia.
“These are turbulent times and we feel for our colleagues in the Northern Hemisphere because spring marks the start of their peak milk production period and food service outlets have shut down, but it’s a different situation in Australia,” Mr Richardson said.
“The dairy processing sector has a strong track record of ensuring the reliable collection of raw milk over many years and through various crises.
“During COVID-19 the industry continues to work collaboratively to ensure continuous, safe and efficient milk collection from the farm gate, right through the supply chain, with no interruptions.”
The dairy industry has formed a National Response Group to ensure a united response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while maintaining supply chains and product quality, and protecting the health and safety of farmers and workers.
Comprised of representatives from ADF, the Australian Dairy Products Federation and Dairy Australia, the group has worked to ensure dairy and all supply components are classified as an essential service, and have implemented measures to keep supply chains operating.
ADIC deputy chair and Australian Dairy Products Federation president Grant Crothers said processors and haulage companies continued to work together to ensure milk pick-ups would occur safely under any circumstances.
“Dairy farmers’ milk will continue to be collected, and we see no reason whatsoever for milk to be dumped,” Mr Crothers said.
“Should any dairy processor not be able to pick up milk, they’d simply need to pick up the phone and call another processor or the ADPF, it’s as simple as that.
“As long as farmers continue to produce safe, fresh and nutritious milk, Australia’s processors will ensure supply across retail, and replenish all products.
“The message for Australia is clear. The dairy industry is essential and open for business.”
In emergencies, many people rush to the store for eggs, bread and milk. When the coronavirus pandemic set in, that’s exactly what many did. Panic buying left store shelves empty, so many grocery stores now have limits on essential items. That’s affecting the people who produce them.
Scott Francka is a fourth generation dairy farmer.
“It’s one of those things that helps me get up in the morning, I guess. Puts a smile on my face,” he said.
Francka and his family milk their cows twice a day on their Polk County farm.
“Every twelve hours. We start at one in the morning and one in the afternoon,” he said.
That milk is sold to processors who turn it into dairy products like cheese, yogurt and obviously, gallons of pasteurized milk. Demand for those things declined when schools and many restaurants closed. Then it got worse.
“Three weeks ago is when it started, and everybody was going to buy all their milk out of the stores. It was flying off the shelf,” Francka said. “Demand was really high and unfortunately, stores got to where they were putting limits on how much they were buying.”
Those limits are causing big problems for dairy farmers like Francka.
Every other day, he said, the farm produces about 22,000 pounds of raw milk. On Sunday, he had to pour it down the drain.
“We dumped, I believe, 19,980 pounds I believe,” he said. “You put your heart into it. To watch your product flowing down the drain is just heartbreaking and emotional.”
Now, the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the State Milk Board are calling for grocery retailers to stop telling customers how much milk they can buy. Governor Mike Parson agrees.
“I would hope they’d take a different view of that and allow those farmers to sell their product and let the consumer get what they want,” Parson said.
According to Francka, this is happening all across the country.
“It’s thousands of gallons over the entire United States and different co-ops and farms,” he said. “We’re talking a lot bigger picture than just what’s happening here.”
Francka said there’s an easy way for Missouri shoppers to support their local farmers for generations to come.
“Throw some extra cheese on your tacos. Pour an extra glass of milk. It’s healthy. Just use a little bit of extra product. It’ll go a long ways for us,” he said.
Francka still got paid for the milk he lost, because of a contact with a marketing co-operative. He said milk haulers, on the other hand, are not so lucky. Francka is hoping that was the one and only time he’ll have to pour out his product.
For the statement from the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the State Milk Board, click HERE
It is with great sadness that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Jersey Canada is cancelling the 2020 World Jersey Cattle Bureau Tour scheduled for this coming June and July. All paid registrants will receive a full refund. The WJCB board will be holding their meeting by e-conference.
We would like to thank the farms that chose to participate and the sponsors that came on board to support the tour.
Holstein Canada has announced that prefix sharing has been made possible to Junior members!
A great initiative for future Holstein producers across Canada. They have got some special perks for their junior members, including:
Free Holstein Canada membership! This lets you take part in Holstein Canada services, get preferred fees for Registrations, and gain access to awesome learning and training opportunities.
Junior Members also have the ability to start their own new prefix or share in their family’s prefix. You can start achieving all your Holstein dreams early!
Once they’ve signed up, Junior Members will receive an introductory New Members kit with a loyalty gift and bimonthly issues of InfoHolstein.
On a dairy in Galt, Arlin Van Groningen’s 1,250 cows continue to produce milk. The third generation dairy man’s majority of product is sold for butter and powder, which means he has so far escaped the coronavirus economic fallout.
“We haven’t had to do that and as far as I know,” Van Groningen said. “Our co-op, none of its members have had to dump milk.”
But other local dairies have not been so fortunate and have begun dumping milk because not enough people or restaurants are buying it during the statewide stay at home order.
According to the United Western Dairies, which represents 860 California dairies, about 10% is getting dumped.
“It is happening. It’s not a ton right now,” said Anja Raudabaugh,CEO of United Western Dairies.
Raudabaugh says there’s lots of supply, but demand is dwindling, largely in part due the mass closing of restaurants across the state. After Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order for people to stay to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, restaurants had the option to close completely or switch to delivery and take-out only.
Raudabaugh said because of that, the UWD has struggled “meeting our contracts in that area.”
Plus, schools are closed, which means another large portion of milk product is no longer heading to cafeterias.
“They’re generally processing over 100% of their capacity, but if they don’t have a contract that’s viable, then in most cases, it’s because the restaurant space for the most part has shut down,” Raudabaugh said.
Van Groningen said there’s also a transportation and grocery store issue, trying to get milk to grocery stores and markets.
One solution: People will need to buy more milk.
“Most of our dairy farms are within 50 miles of most urban residents, so you are really guaranteeing a good, quality and safe nutritious product,” Raudabaugh said.
University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Stacey Hamilton and veterinarian Scott Poock used to repeat one word to students and workers at MU’s Foremost Dairy Research Center. “Intake. Intake. Intake” has given way to “Sanitize. Sanitize. Sanitize.”
“The best way to improve the bottom line of your dairy operation now is to protect your people,” Hamilton says. The close-knit links between dairy farmers and vendors make social distancing difficult but imperative.
Put social distancing into practice both on and off the farm. “Social distancing may be practiced at the farm level, but if not practiced away from the farm, it puts all farm people at risk,” Hamilton says. Practice basic hygiene at home and at work by frequent hand-washing with soap and water.
He and Poock give the following tips:
1. Use technology. Use Zoom videoconferencing to show employees what needs to be done with equipment, fields and cows. Use a phone or tablet to take pictures to share. Brush up on herd management software and apps such as the MU Grazing Wedge.
2. Create a contingency plan. A plan and protocol help producers react responsibly to emergencies. Have a plan in place listing who can assume critical duties if illness strikes employees or family members. Post the plan.
3. Communicate safety expectations to employees. Post signs and communicate to employees the importance of following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Educate employees about COVID-19 symptoms. Expect workers to wear clean uniforms and launder them daily.
4. Cross-train employees where possible. Ask employees if they know of family members, friends or students taking online courses who might be available to help in case of illness. Talk to other herd owners about sharing worker resources in the event of a shortage.
5. Limit traffic into and out of the farm with a single entry or exit point. Do not allow nonessential visitors to the farm. Stagger deliveries and ask delivery people to leave packages at areas away from dairy buildings. Keep a log of all off-farm visitors.
6. Limit the number of workers operating farm equipment. Make sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, paper towels, nitrile gloves and personal protective equipment available. Place in vehicles and shared areas such as bathrooms and the break room. Assign an employee to be responsible for disinfecting common areas. Disinfect doorknobs, lockers, telephones, light switches, time clocks and other surfaces that people may frequently touch. Make washing stations available if possible.
7. Discuss sick leave with employees prior to them becoming sick. Poock recommends that herd managers take and record the temperature of all farmworkers before and after work. If workers have elevated temperatures, send them home as a precautionary measure.
8. Assign work zones. “The parlor will be trickier in COVID-19 times,” says Hamilton. “If possible, do the milking with just one person.” If it is not possible, allow social distancing by designating zones in the parlor for each person. Assign duties that one person can accomplish. Assign zones when working cattle also. “Employees should be like two ships passing in the night,” says Poock.
9. Consider mealtime safety. Where will employees eat? If more than one generation of a family works at the dairy farm, where will they eat?
10. Remember that employees and vendors are under stress at home and at work. Keep in touch with friends, neighbors and community members through phone calls, videoconferencing and email.
The work may take longer, Hamilton and Poock say, but the health of farm people is critical.
Many county extension centers are closed, but MU Extension specialists are still available by telephone or email. MU Extension also posts regular updates and new resources related to COVID-19 at extension.missouri.edu.
For more than 100 years, University of Missouri Extension has extended university-based knowledge beyond the campus into all counties of the state. In doing so, extension has strengthened families, businesses and communities.
On the Chicago Mercantile Exchange May Class III milk futures limit down 75 cents at $11.83. June 54 lower at $13.26. July through September three to 42 cents lower.
Dry whey up $0.01 at $0.34. Blocks unchanged at $1.1275. Barrels down $0.0350 at $1.0650. Five trades were made, ranging from $1.0650 to $1.1125. Butter up $0.0350 at $1.30. Three trades made at $1.30. Nonfat dry milk up $0.0050 at $0.9050. Three trades were made, with a range of $0.9025 to $0.9050.
Fourteen sires graduate to the daughter-proven ranks in the Select Sires, Accelerated Genetics and GenerVations lineups. Graduating sires include 10 Holsteins, two Jerseys, one Brown Swiss and one Milking Shorthorn. Select Sires remains committed to match the genetic requests of all customer-owners, regardless of breed, environment or herd goals as directed by the cooperative’s sire committees.
“This class of newly proven graduates adds to an already stellar lineup and bolsters Select Sires’ leadership among industry indexes and rankings,” says Jeff Ziegler, vice president of dairy cattle genetics. “Select Sires is privileged to work with the best breeders in the business and these sires exemplify profitable and progressive genetics designed by dairy producers, for dairy producers.”
Select Sires Highlights
7HO12886 CANNON makes his debut to the proven lineup as a top-15 GTPI® sire at +2801 GTPI.
7HO12942 RESOLVE offers an outcross pedigree with +2739 GTPI, and he’s RobotPRO® designated.
As mastitis resistance genetics prove to be increasingly valuable, 7HO12974 COPYCAT (2.69 SCS, 102 Zoetis Mastitis, +0.9 CDCB Mastitis) and RESOLVE (2.68 SCS, 102 Zoetis Mastitis, +1.7 CDCB Mastitis) offer an elite combination of udder health and milk quality traits.
For genetic programs that consider health and wellness traits a priority, this class of Holstein graduates offers quality and quantity. 7HO12872 TRUMP leads this category of sires with elite values for Dairy Wellness Profit Index® (+978 DWP$®) and Wellness Trait Index® (+249 WT$®) .
Summer heat is bound to impede conception rates and this offering includes four sires with positive Sire Conception Rates (SCR). 7HO12999 BRENNAN (+1.7 SCR), COPYCAT (+1.4), 7HO12868 ADVANCE (+1.3) and RESOLVE (+1.1) offer breeders confidence with high sire fertility and balanced proofs.
Popular as a young sire, 7JE1569 JX AVON KLAY {3}-P joins the proven lineup as a health trait improver with extremely valuable Daughter Pregnancy Rate (+1.4 DPR) and Cow Conception Rate (+1.7 CCR) traits. From our partners at Jerseyland Sires, JX AVON KLAY {3}-P offers balanced production, A2A2 and BB Kappa-Casein coupled with Polled genetics.
7MS360 MD JUSTICE checks all the boxes for customer satisfaction among Milking Shorthorn breeders. With solid milk yield (+798 Milk), A2A2 and breed-leading Type (+0.5 PTAT, +0.78 UDC), this Megadeth son is a great addition to the Milking Shorthorn lineup.
Accelerated Genetics Highlights
14HO7784 HECTOR transmits elite production (+1,865 Milk, +60 PTAP, +55 PTAF) as an outcross sire.
14HO7828 ODIN offers a unique sire stack (Hotrod x (GP-83-DOM) Ransom x (GP-83-VG-MS) 7HO10524 ROBUST) with favorable wellness and fertility traits (+165 WT$, +1.2 SCR).
14JE758 KNOCK-OUT is an A2A2, RobotPRO sire, known for lengthening teats and improving foot angle.
14BS393 DYNAMITE is a FertilityPRO® designee and known for siring daughters with superior type and excellent mammary systems (+1.21 UDC).
GenerVations Highlights
Popular ShowcaseTM sire, 250HO12961 DOC has earned his spot on the daughter-proven lineup. This elite Type sire (+3.10 PTAT) has a flawless linear and combines valuable production traits (+1,318 Milk) to sire profitable daughters.
250HO13531 TOTEM offers an outcross pedigree with exceptional mastitis resistance and wellness traits (2.59 SCS, +690 DWP$).
For more information about individual sires, please visit www.selectsires.com and use the Dairy Sire Search to locate a sire or create an index specific to your herd goals.
Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc., is the largest global A.I. cooperative and is comprised of six farmer-owned and -controlled local organizations in the United States. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen, as well as excellence in service and programs to supply dairy and beef producers with the world’s best genetics.
Source: 04/20 CDCB Genomic Evaluation, BSCBA/AJCA/HA/AMSS Type Evaluation %Rel: COPYCAT SCS 86, Zoetis Mast. 54, CDCB Mast. 70, SCR 93; RESOLVE SCS 89, Zoetis Mast. 56, CDCB Mast. 71, SCR 93; BRENNAN SCR 95; ADVANCE SCR 99; RESOLVE SCR 93; JX AVON KLAY {3}-P DPR 72, CCR 73; MD JUSTICE Type 37, Yield 72; HECTOR Yield 92; ODIN SCR 96; DYNAMITE Type 81; DOC Type 87, Yield 92; TOTEM SCS 89. JX AVON KLAY {3}-P is BBR 92 and JH1F. KNOCK-OUT is BBR 100 and JH1F. DYNAMITE is BH2T.
™Showcase is a trademark of Select Sires Inc. ®RobotPRO and FertilityPRO are registered trademarks of Select Sires Inc. TPI is a registered trademark of Holstein Association USA. Dairy Wellness Index, DWP, Wellness Trait Index and WT$ are registered trademarks of Zoetis Inc., its affiliates and/or its licensors.
World Wide Sires is pleased to announce that Laura Gordon has joined World Wide Sires (WWS) as Area Director of Marketing. In her new role, Laura will be responsible for sales and marketing in several countries in Europe.
Laura has over five years of experience in the A.I. industry. Previously, Laura worked as a Product Development Specialist, Global Genetic Services Brand Manager and District Account Manager for another A.I. organization. Most recently, she served as a Market Development Manager in the citrus industry.
Laura holds a Master’s degree in International Agriculture, Marketing & Business Development Focus from Oklahoma State University. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Agricultural Systems Management from The Ohio State University.
Scott Ruby, Vice President of Marketing of World Wide Sires commented, “We could not be happier to be having someone as qualified as Laura Gordon joining our dynamic team. Her experience, skills, and positive attitude will be an excellent fit, and we are looking forward to having her interacting with our global customers soon.”
Laura will work from the Visalia, California office.
We are pleased to have Laura join the WWS team. Her experience will be a great asset to World Wide Sires and its global network of distributors.
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World Wide Sires, Ltd. remains at the forefront in providing exceptional genetics for outstanding type and phenomenal production. A leading exporter of U.S. livestock semen, World Wide Sires represents Accelerated Genetics, Genervations and Select Sires in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Oceania.
For dairy farmers in the United States, the timing of the Covid-19 pandemic could hardly be worse.
As the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 spreads across the US and changes so many aspects of public life, it’s also reshaping how consumers buy dairy products. And while lots of farmers are experiencing increased demand for their foods, experts estimate demand for dairy has evaporated by nearly half.
The US dairy supply generally increases in the spring season, part of the natural cadence at which cows produce milk. But according to a new report by CoBank (pdf), there’s little demand for it this year. Economic weakness led big export markets, including China, to slash the volume of US milk they’re importing. School closings across the US—particularly elementary schools—have also put a major dent in milk consumption.
“The biggest thing is the collapse in the restaurant and food service demand,” says Lucas Fuess, a food industry analyst with HighGround Dairy. “It’s tough to get numbers, but I would estimate as much as 40% of dairy goes into food service channels.”
That’s a significant number, especially considering many US dairies were already largely struggling financially. Farm balance sheets, checking accounts, and cashflow were already in a pretty critical situation going into 2020, Fuess says. Now, with the US expected to skid into a recession, people may be spending less on premium dairy products. The result: “We could see a lot of bankruptcies pretty quickly,” he says.
There are a few ways to visualize the pain dairy farms are feeling. One is by charting out prices on the spot market, a daily auction where buyers and sellers make bids for and trade dairy products. The daily settlements set the prices that companies use when doing business, reflecting how much farmers can get for their goods. Spot market prices of butter and cheese blocks show a clear dip in the last part of March.
Another way to visualize the downturn: actual photos and videos of milk dumping being shared by dairies on Twitter. Farmers who have more milk than they can sell are literally dumping whole milk onto the grounds of their farms because there’s nowhere for it to go.
There are a couple bright spots, the CoBank report points out.
“A stable-to-slowly shrinking cow herd will keep milk production figures in check while the world emerges from a global pandemic,” it states. The number of dairy cows in the US has been decreasing for decades as farmers have found ways to increase the amount of milk individual cows produce. The stability of that downward trend will help farmers plan for future business.“Feed costs are expected to be lower, which will also help dairy farmers weather this uncertain time.”
The question is how many farms will be able to weather the current crisis.
A controversial Eastern Oregon dairy is officially under new ownership, though it will likely be months before state regulators decide if the facility can reopen.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has approved the transfer of the former Lost Valley Farm in Boardman to Easterday Farms based in Pasco, Wash.
Easterday bought the property for $66.7 million last year.
Lost Valley Farm opened in 2017 and was permitted for up to 30,000 cows, making it the second-largest dairy in Oregon.
However, under previous owner Greg te Velde, Lost Valley almost immediately began violating the conditions of its permit for improperly handling and storing manure.
Te Velde declared bankruptcy in April 2018 amid allegations of persistent drug use and gambling. Later that year, he was stripped of his control over Lost Valley — along with two other dairies in California — and a federal trustee was put in charge.
The trustee, Randy Sugarman, decided to close and sell the dairy but was first responsible for cleaning up the site. On Dec. 30, 2019, ODA issued a “letter of satisfaction” for the cleanup, which included removing all cows, flushing barns and emptying wastewater lagoons.
ODA recently transferred the “zero-animal clean-up permit” to Easterday Farms, though the dairy cannot reopen until the state approves a new Confined Animal Feeding Operation, or CAFO, permit. Easterday Farms has applied for a new CAFO permit, which is under review and expected to go out for public comment this summer.
Oregon’s CAFO program is jointly managed by ODA and the state Department of Environmental Quality.
Easterday Farms Dairy would have up to 28,300 cattle, with 8,000 mature dairy cows and 2,650 heifers housed under roof along with 1,700 mature cows and 5,950 heifers in open confinement. The farm plans to invest $15 million to bring the operation into full environmental compliance.
According to the CAFO application, the dairy will generate roughly 5.4 million cubic feet of liquid manure, 5.9 million cubic feet of solid manure and 11.7 million cubic feet of processed wastewater annually. The nitrogen-rich manure will be stored in lagoons and used for fertilizer on 5,390 acres of surrounding farmland, growing crops such as potatoes, onions and forage for the cows.
A coalition of environmental and animal rights groups has called for Oregon to reject the dairy’s permit and declare a moratorium on “mega-dairies,” citing the failure of Lost Valley Farm.
ODA has attributed problems at Lost Valley to poor management, and would look to Easterday Farms to achieve and maintain CAFO compliance going forward.
Last night, the National Milk Producers Federation, the largest organization of U.S. dairy farmers, and the International Dairy Foods Association submitted a request for assistance to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern offered the following statement:
“As most of the country shelters in place and large swaths of the foodservice sector come to a standstill, dairy sales outside retail channels have plummeted. Market prices have fallen rapidly, creating a crushing economic outlook for producers of nutritious, and necessary, milk and dairy products.
“While no plan can wholly remedy the losses that are occurring, dairy is responding with a united plan that can help mitigate the damage caused to it by the COVID-19 pandemic. After extensive discussions across the industry, we have developed this comprehensive action plan to address many of the key marketplace challenges created by the pandemic and are presenting it to USDA.
“We will engage in discussions with USDA in the coming days to discuss the proposal, urging the department, as we know it will, to move quickly to address the effects of the pandemic on our industry. We also understand the demands being placed on USDA at this time. Nevertheless, after five straight years of poor milk prices that were just starting to improve before the pandemic hit, USDA’s immediate actions here will be critical to help people survive the market devastation that has occurred. We look forward to working closely with USDA as we fight for dairy farmers.”
The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of U.S. milk, making NMPF dairy’s voice on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.
Dairy farms could boost efficiency and returns by taking a lean management approach, the Australian Dairy Conference earlier this year was told.
Jana Hocken, who worked as an engineer with Toyota and a lean management consultant across the globe, was horrified by what she saw on farm when she and her husband took on the management of his family’s 1000-cow operation.
But she realised the same lean management principles she had helped introduce to large businesses could be applied successfully on farms.
“One of the definitions of lean is the relentless pursuit of identifying and eliminating waste in all forms in order to improve business performance and customer satisfaction,” she said.
“If we look at our processes in the eyes of customers … and we define value in the eyes of our customer, then 95 per cent and sometimes more of our processes are non valued-added in the eyes of customers.”
But this created the opportunity.
These processes could be simplified or reduced without having any impact on the customer.
This would not change the milk price or government regulation or any of the other external pressures on the business, but it would help people working in the business do things in a better way.
It would mean fewer resources and less time was needed to do things.
Ms Hocken said waste in a lean management fell into eight categories, that could be represented by the acronym DOWNTIME:
Defect – when things go wrong, fix a fence, milk goes down the drain, cows in the wrong paddock.
Overproduction – for example, stock, feed, so using resources for something not needed.
Waiting – for animals, decisions, supplies.
Not-Utilised people – particularly not listening to people’s ideas that could make processes better.
Transportation – moving stuff around unnecessarily, such as moving a pile of feed or mineral from one place to another.
Inventory – having more of what is needed, for example buying medications that were not needed that expire.
Motion – people moving around when not needed.
Extra processing – doing more than is required to get an outcome.
Ms Hocken said it was vital to establish clear, standardised processes for tasks done on the farm.
The keys were to provide specific directions, use visualisation where possible and ensure people understood the end outcome.
It was also important to create open, transparent workplaces where teams were engaged and empowered and there was two-way discussion, where people could ask questions and receive feedback.
Ms Hocken provided an idea of what this waste could look like on a dairy farm (see Figure 1).
FIGURE 1: How a normal farm and a lean farm compare.
Simplifying processes and setting up the farm in a more logical way could reduce waste in many areas: pasture, feed, effluent, labour, resources used and time.
She gave a specific example of a change implemented on their farm in Teat Seal treatment (see Figure 2).
FIGURE 2: A lean management example that cut costs on a New Zealand farm.
Under the old system, five staff members did full treatment on individual cows on particular parts of the stationary rotary platform.
Under the lean system, the process was turned into something like an assembly line. The rotary moved at a 20-second intervals and each person was allocated a specific task to do on every cow and the five staff members stood side by side around the platform. One person cleaned the back teats, the next person sealed the back teats, the next person cleaned the front teats, the next person sealed the front teats, and the last person painted the cow red/orange and teat sprayed.
The change cut the time spent from six hours to two hours, reduced the number of Teat Seal tubes used, and reduced the subsequent number of cows with mastitis, halving the cost of antibiotic used on the farm.
“All we did was change the process, some impressive results just by thinking differently about how you do things,” Ms Hocken said.
The change produced a 66pc reduction in time, a 9pc reduction in Teat Seal, a 43pc reduction in mastitis and a 26pc reduction in costs. It also reduced the stress on the animal and the people, which also reduced the amount of effluent and the water needed to clean it up.
“If you do right things the right way, you’ll get right results,” Ms Hocken said. Looking after the environment, animals and land was good for business, it made business sense.
Ms Hocken has written a book, The Lean Dairy Farm, on how she applied these principles on a dairy farm.
On the Chicago Mercantile Exchange milk prices across the board were limit higher in both Class III and Class IV. May Class III milk futures up 75 cents to $12.58. June 75 higher at $13.80. July through September contracts also up 75 cents.
On the commodities Dry whey unchanged at $0.33. Blocks steady at $1.1275. Barrels up $0.01 at $1.10. Butter $0.01 higher at $1.2650. Nonfat dry milk up $0.0375 at $0.90. Three trades were made at $0.90.
New cow-wellness and fertility traits improve predictions for potential lifetime profitability
Dairy producers now have additional trait insights to help predict potential lifetime profitability. Results from CLARIFIDE® Plus genetic testing for Holsteins and Jerseys now include cow-wellness traits for cow respiratory disease and fertility traits for cow abortion, twinning and cystic ovary. Previously available only for Jerseys, Holsteins now have milk fever available among the cow-wellness trait insights. These new trait insights are in addition to cow-wellness traits for mastitis, lameness, metritis, retained placenta, displaced abomasum and ketosis, and calf-wellness traits for calf livability, respiratory disease and scours.
With the availability of more trait insights, Zoetis also has updated the Dairy Wellness Profit Index® (DWP$®), which helps producers predict potential lifetime profit of individual dairy replacements. The latest update incorporates additional traits impacting lifetime profitability, including cow abortion, twinning, cow respiratory disease and cystic ovary.
“We’re helping our customers build a cow for the future,” said Dave Erf, geneticist, U.S. Dairy Technical Services for Zoetis. “That cow needs less interventions, needs to live longer and needs to produce more milk over more lactations; essentially, deliver more ROI and profitability over her lifetime.”
Improved lifetime profitability prediction
The impact of DWP$ has benefits over other ranking methods, such as Net Merit (NM$).
“DWP$ has a three-pronged approach to improving production, fertility and health, simultaneously. NM$ is more focused on production and fertility, with a minor acknowledgment of health traits,” Erf said. Selection index updates and the incorporation of the new fertility and wellness traits into DWP$ also are increasing the accuracy of DWP$ in predicting potential lifetime profitability.
In a study, Zoetis ranked Holstein cows tested with CLARIFIDE Plus with the updated DWP$ from April 2020. There was an additional 1,442-pound difference in lifetime energy corrected milk (ECM) and $141 in lifetime income over feed costs (IOFC) per cow between the best 25% and worst 25% than when we ranked the same cows by DWP$ in 2018. This indicates the latest DWP$ updates have improved the accuracy of predicting lifetime profitability.
DWP$ predictions are a useful tool for dairy producers interested in using genetics as a method to improve their overall herd profitability. Incorporating DWP$ into breeding and culling decisions will help dairy producers create a herd for the future that is capable of higher lifetime profit when combined with best herd management practices. More information is available at www.clarifideplus.com.
About Zoetis
Zoetis is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on more than 65 years of experience in animal health, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines, vaccines and diagnostic products, which are complemented by biodevices, genetic tests and precision livestock farming. Zoetis serves veterinarians, livestock producers and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals with sales of its products in more than 100 countries. In 2019, the company generated annual revenue of $6.3 billion with approximately 10,600 employees. For more information, visit www.ZoetisUS.com.
Reliability of at least 80% traditional OR 85% genomic for production and Reliability of at least 80% for type in one of the countries included in MACE evaluations
VH Nader at +44 NTM is the new #1 NTM Genomic sire on the April 2020 of the Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland). In the second spot the German bull Skyboy at +43 NTM. The former #1 VH Yngvar drops two spots to place three at +42 NTM. Gen Bellroy (Boxer) is the #5 NTM genomic bull at +39 NTM. Topping the daughter proven NTM list is VH Manfolk at +35 NTM. In second we find another domestic sire VH Bernell at +33 NTM. The stage is complete with the international American sire All-Star at place 3 at +31 NTM.
Genosource CAPTAIN (A2A2) takes charge in the United Kingdom at +882 PLI £ and 1.59 TM. No less than 92 points ahead of FG Kenobi Targaryen at 790 PLI £. Rounding out the top three is Denovo 15158 Admiral at 774 PLI £ who poses a great combination with 1.89 TM. Bomaz AltaTopshot at 708 PLI. Is the #1 daughter proven PLI sire of this April 2020 run. Topping the Type Merit bulls in the genomic bulls lists is Peak AltaHotjob at 2.99 TM. Followed by Crushtime his full brother Oh-River-Syc Crushabull at 2.91 TM. Siemers Lambda Haniko claims the third spot at 2.87 TM. Remarkable is the #1 daughter proven Type Merit bull in the U.K.: R&W sire Gen-I-Beq Attico-Red guarantees for 3.43 TM that also makes him also the #1 TYPE MERIT bull.
The Italian PFT list has a new number one and his name is Progenesis Matchpoint at +4632 PFT. Only 13 points behind is the #1 in from Switzerland: Plain-Knoll SI Magnitude at +4619 PFT.Rounding out the top sires is Westcoast Boulevard at +4619 PFT.
Zani Inseme Stradivari is the #1 domestic genomic sire in Italy at +4609 PFT & 1328 IES. The #1 daughter proven bull is the domestic sire Mirabell Sound System at 4298 PFT and 1045 IES. Second is the foreign sire and #1 in the International daughter proven PFT ranking: Cookiecutter Harper at +4202 PFT. Holbra Inseme Rodanas drops two places and is now the #3 daughter proven sire in the Domestic list at +3756 PFT.
Plain-Knoll SI MAGNITUDE makes a grand debut in Switzerland as the #1 ISET sire at +1754 ISET. Almost 100 points behind is S-S-I Rolan BRAWN at +1674 ISET. Who is then followed by former #1 sire Stantons ETHYMOLOGY at +1663 ISET.
The #1 daughter proven sire is Bomaz ALTATOPSHOT with 145 in production at +1532 ISET. Followed by Aot Silver HELIX at +1522 ISET and 538 milking daughters. The #1 ISET heifer is this run Riveting daughter Soppensteig Riveting Arina at +1700 ISET, with 13 points less follows Villstar Hotspot Liss Z at +1687 ISET enough for the second place.
There is a new leader in the German RZG system, and his name is CAPTAIN. This Hurtgenlea Richard Charl has a +169 RZG and is followed by Benz son BEST BENZ at +165 RZG. Rounding out the top sires is Gendry at +163 RZG. The highest new release sire is a Rio son Gen RAVE who came tied at #4 RZG with a +161 RZG.
The #1 daughter proven B&W RZG sire is also the #1 GTPI dtr proven sire: HELIX (s. Silver) at +161 RZG. Grando-Red an early Gywer *RC son tops the R&W Interbull genomic list is at +165 RZG. He is followed closely by the former #1 R&W RZG: Solitair P at +163 RZG. Spark-Red son Sportsman makes the top three complete at +156 RZG. The #1 daughter proven R&W RZG sire is again Pat-Red at +152 RZG with 2.321 daughters in production.
When the dust settles over the coronavirus, it is critical that all levels of government assist industry to rebuild.
The world has been turned upside down over the past month. The impacts on most people’s lives are extreme and this is likely to last for many weeks or months to come. As well as the personal toll, the financial impacts of coronavirus are unprecedented and are likely to be greater than World War II. Already it is having a devastating impact on the economy and will likely lead to a major recession.
In an effort to stave off a recession for Australia, both state and federal government financial packages to individuals and to businesses have been astonishing. But it all comes at a cost; it will lead to high debt levels which will probably take 10 years for the country to pay back.
In addition, the private sector will face a massive financial hit. Although the impacts on businesses will be partially offset by government spending, most businesses will be in a far worse financial position compared to pre-pandemic.
So what does all this mean?
It means that all industries will have to tighten their belts substantially and accept that this will probably take at least five years to recover from. The amount of money that businesses will have will be less, and the amount that state and federal government have to spend will also be reduced. This will have a domino effect, devastating businesses outside of the initial hit.
When the dust settles over the coronavirus, it is critical that all levels of government assist industry to rebuild and make significant funding available for this to occur.
As we are an essential industry like the rest of agriculture, the dairy industry has been able to continue operating during this time of crisis. Even though we have fared OK during the chaos to date, the long-term impacts could still be severe as we manage production when our export markets are in jeopardy.
While the state and federal stimulus packages and other financial support have been welcome and necessary to steer our nation’s economy through this troubled time; the government cannot take a short-term approach. It is going to be a long road back to a properly functioning economy and long-term projects and ongoing advocacy for our industry does not and cannot stop.
There are several good reasons why dairy and all agricultural industries are considered essential to the wellbeing and future of Australia. State and federal government need to be considerate of the long-term impacts on the economy and industries such as dairy beyond the next six to 12 months.
Dairy farmers in one of Canada’s largest milk-producing province are poised to dump millions of litres of milk due to coronavirus.
Dairy Farmers of Ontario has told farmers to get rid of raw milk to keep prices stable and prevent oversupply.
The industry group says demand has crashed as restaurants and other bulk buyers shutter due to Covid-19.
Some 500 farms have been asked to dump 5 million litres a week, according to a trade report.
The policy is a volte-face from last week, when Dairy Farms of Ontario, which oversees nearly a third of Canada’s dairies, had asked farmers to increase production amid concerns about a shortage.
“In its 55-year history, Dairy Farmers of Ontario has only once before had to ask producers to dispose of raw milk,” Cheryl Smith, the association’s CEO, told BBC.
Canadian dairy is produced under what is known as a supply-management system, which strictly controls production quotas and imports to support prices.
At first, the industry co-op was concerned there would not be enough milk to meet demand, as Canadians panic-bought at the grocery store. But hoarding has died down, and the dairy frenzy has waned.
Meanwhile, bulk-buyers like restaurants, hotels and schools have been forced to close due to federal restrictions. That means there’s milk on the shelves not being sold, risking a price plummet.
Dairy Farmers of Ontario is hoping that by spilling fresh milk, the supply will balance out and prices will remain stable. The group has not confirmed how much milk they are asking farmers to dump, but says it will be done on a “select and rotating” basis.
Producers told Ontario Farmer, a trade publication, that about 500 farms across the province have been asked to dump as much as five million litres a week. The province produces about 3 billion litres of milk a year, or about a third of Canada’s total supply.
“We are working very closely with processors and industry groups to respond to the unpredictable market fluctuations that are now part of our current environment,” Ms Smith said in a statement.
Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador, another provincial dairy association, asked farmers to dump 170,000 litres last week. The province produces about 50 million litres a year.
Dairy Farmers of America, the largest dairy cooperative in the US, has also asked farmers to dump milk.
Dairy farmers aren’t the only industry struggling with how coronavirus has affected their supply and demand. Global oil prices have tanked with demand, as factories close down and air travel grinds to a halt.
But unlike dairy groups that have asked members to dump milk to keep prices stable, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has decided to ramp up production. The move, spurred by a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, has pushed prices even lower.
The supply war has wrought havoc on another key Canadian industry- oil, based largely in the province of Alberta.
Emerging research has demonstrated that Ivermectin, a widely available antiparasitic treatment for cattle, inhibits the causative virus for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro.
Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne have shown that the antiparasitic drug Ivermectin can reduce and kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative agent of COVID-19, 48 hours after exposure. The trial demonstrated that a single dose of Ivermectin could stop SARS-CoV-2 growing in cell culture.
Though this sounds promising, health authorities are warning people against self-medicating with Ivermectin as it could be fatal. The current research has not provided any information on appropriate dosage or delivery. Additional trials need to be carried out in humans before Ivermectin can be safely used.
Dr Kylie Wagstaff, who led the study, explains, “We found that even a single dose could essentially remove all viral RNA by 48 hours and that even at 24 hours there was a really significant reduction in it.
“…Although the mechanism by which Ivermectin works on the virus is not known, it is likely, based on its action in other viruses, that it works to stop the virus ‘dampening down’ the host cells’ ability to clear it.”
Using Ivermectin to combat COVID-19 depends on the results of additional pre-clinical tests and clinical trials. Dr Wagstaff says that funding is urgently needed to continue research.
Background
Ivermectin is a common veterinary drug, killing a wide range of internal and external parasites in livestock and companion animals. The drug is also used in human medicine to treat other parasitic infections like headlice and river blindness. Since Ivermectin included on the WHO model list of essential medicines, it is widely available and is an excellent candidate for re-purposing for other treatments.
Researchers have shown that the drug has strong anti-viral potential in in vitro trials – targeting both DNA-based and RNA-based viruses and inhibiting their replication. However, this in vitro efficacy hasn’t always translated in human trials.
Dairy markets causing whiplash on Monday as we Class III move from limit down in May during early trading to rebound and see August trade limit up in the afternoon on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Class III milk finished a volatile day with a tale of two halves. April – June was in the red with April falling 19 to 13.88, May down 35 to 11.83 and June fell 8 to 13.05. July however gained 32 cents to 14.40 and the balance of 2020 saw gains of 24-41 cents in a late day rally. Class IV milk saw similar swings, April was unchanged at 11.36, May fell 13 to 11.02, and June was unchanged at 11.54. Second half months mixed from 13 lower to 19 higher.
Dry whey steady at $0.33. Blocks down $0.0225 at $1.1275. Barrels down $0.0475 at $1.09. Four trades were made, with a range of $1.09 to $1.10. Butter down $0.0250 at $1.2550. Nonfat dry milk unchanged at $0.8625.
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is still a major cause of sickness and death in young beef and dairy calves. While vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to prevent losses associated with BRD, it’s often assumed that intranasal vaccines are the best approach in younger calves. However, recent research shows that previous perceptions about injectable respiratory vaccines may not be accurate, and that both types of vaccines have a place in BRD prevention.
Building calf immunity
When a calf is born, its immune system isn’t fully developed. Since it has no antibodies in the blood to fight off pathogens or disease-causing viruses and bacteria, the calf relies on antibodies it receives from the dam via colostrum in the hours after birth.
These maternal antibodies bind to specific pathogens and destroy them, but they’re generally short-lived, gradually waning over the first few months of the calf’s life.
Vaccines are needed to stimulate the calf’s immune system to start producing its own antibodies against specific disease-causing agents. IgA antibodies, thought to be stimulated by intranasal vaccines, are the predominant antibodies in the mucosa, or the lining of organs such as the upper respiratory tract (nasal passages).
IgG antibodies, on the other hand, are the predominant antibodies circulating in the blood, and are generally believed to be produced in response to injectable vaccines. IgG antibodies help build long-term immunity. Both IgA and IgG antibodies are needed to fight off disease-causing agents.
The role of respiratory vaccines
To help stimulate calf immunity, vaccines expose the animal to antigens, or weakened versions of the pathogens, priming the immune system to create antibodies and other immune cells that will recognize the real pathogens, should they invade.
The trouble is, it’s difficult to predict when, exactly, maternal antibodies will diminish from one calf to the next. Maternal antibodies have the potential to recognize vaccine antigens as foreign, and neutralize them, which is why vaccines are often not recommended until the calf is a few months old. However, it’s now clear that some, but not all vaccines, are able to override maternal antibodies and stimulate a robust and lasting immunity at an earlier age.
Intranasal vaccines and mucosal immunity
Many beef and dairy producers have turned to intranasal vaccines to boost newborn-calf immunity. These vaccines mimic a natural infection by introducing antigens into the tissue lining the nasal cavities, or mucosa, where respiratory viruses and bacteria typically enter. The idea is to help the body fend off respiratory pathogens in the nasal passages and trachea before they can enter the lungs and really cause damage.
“Intranasal vaccines are generally easy for a newborn calf’s immune system to process,” explained Mike Nichols, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “These vaccines are able to override maternal antibody interference to create fast, local, mucosal immunity in very young calves.”
In addition to stimulating the production of local IgA antibodies against specific respiratory viruses, intranasal vaccines also spark the production of interferon, or proteins that signal the immune system to increase anti-viral defenses in a calf’s body.
At the same time, it’s important to generate cell-mediated immunity, or the production of immune cells that destroy pathogens which have invaded other cells. “Although some intranasal vaccines may elicit a cell-mediated immune response, it’s typically not as robust or long-lasting as what occurs with injectable vaccines,” reported Dr. Nichols.
“If you start with an intranasal vaccine in newborn calves, at about 1 to 2 months of age, it’s important to stimulate the kind of strong, long-term systemic immunity that’s only possible with injectable vaccines,”1 he continued. Injectable respiratory vaccines also protect calves against important pathogens not covered by intranasal vaccines, such as bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) Type 1b, the most prevalent BVDV strain in the United States today.2,3
Injectable vaccines can override maternal antibodies
Even at 1 or 2 months of age, most calves still have maternal antibodies in their systems. In the past, it was believed there was no point in giving injectable respiratory vaccines before about 4 months of age, because they would be inactivated by maternal antibodies. But a recent study proves that’s not the case.
In the study, calves with maternal-derived immunity for bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) were administered an injectable modified-live virus respiratory vaccine for BRSV or a placebo at 30 days of age.1 The calves were then exposed to BRSV about 90 days later. Compared to calves that received a placebo, those administered the vaccine had fewer clinical signs and lung lesions, as well as less viral shedding.
These findings prove that an injectable respiratory vaccine, when given to calves at 30 days of age, can overcome maternal antibodies to stimulate protective immunity against BRSV. “That’s not to say all injectable vaccines can do this,” Dr. Nichols said. “This particular product utilizes a unique adjuvant that protects vaccine antigens from maternal antibodies, thus enhancing the immune response, even in calves still maintaining high levels of maternal antibodies acquired from colostrum.”
Injectable vaccines stimulate mucosal and systemic immunity
It was previously assumed that intranasal vaccines generated mucosal immunity with IgA antibodies and interferons, while injectable vaccines were responsible for systemic immunity with IgG antibodies. Again, it’s not that cut and dried.
The BRSV study found that calves administered the injectable vaccine developed an IgA mucosal immunity to BRSV, as measured by antibodies in nasal secretions. Vaccinated calves also had significantly higher interferon levels than their unvaccinated counterparts. In addition, they developed a systemic, cell-mediated immunity.
“We now know we don’t have to give intranasal vaccines in order to stimulate the production of IgA antibodies and interferons in the mucosa,” clarified Dr. Nichols.
Injectable vaccines stimulate a rapid immune response, too
Until recently, it was believed that intranasal vaccines stimulated faster immunity than injectable vaccines. But a recent study shows that injectable vaccines can produce rapid immunity, too.
In a study of calves not previously vaccinated against bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1), the causative agent behind infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, a single dose of a modified-live injectable vaccine containing that antigen produced adequate immunity within three to four days, about the same amount of time required for intranasal vaccines.4
A place for both types of vaccines
“Intranasal vaccines are most beneficial for newborn beef or dairy calves that are likely to be exposed to respiratory pathogens early,” Dr. Nichols suggested. “Examples would be dairy calves that may benefit from vaccination the day of birth or beef operations that are involved in intensive embryo transfer or artificial insemination work resulting in greater disease challenge in the first month or so following birth.”
Following up with an injectable vaccine at 30 to 60 days of age (pre-weaning for dairy calves and turnout for beef calves) could then provide broader, more long-lasting immunity.
But there are some cases in which calves simply may not need intranasal respiratory vaccination at birth. “For most beef operations, calves are out on the range,” said Dr. Nichols. “If they’ve had good passive antibody transfer from their dams, they may actually be fine until 30 to 60 days of age, when an injectable vaccine could stimulate both the mucosal immune system for local protection, as well as the systemic immune system for robust, long-lasting respiratory disease protection.”
Every herd is different, so remember to consult a veterinarian to develop the most effective protocols for your operation.
Boehringer Ingelheim’s Animal Health Business has a significant presence in the United States with more than 3,000 employees in places that include Georgia, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey and Puerto Rico. To learn more, visit www.boehringer-Ingelheim.us,
Due to the COVID-19 situation, we have had little choice but to postpone the Shiloh Dairy Dispersal scheduled for April 16, 2020, Fond du Lac, WI. The new date of the sale has not yet been confirmed. We are currently looking at the end of May or beginning of June. Stay tuned to our webpage or Facebook to see updates regarding a new date for the sale.
Also, for the same reasons the Vin Vic Farm Dispersal scheduled for May 9, 2020, Mineral Point, WI has been postponed. The Cal Wessel Family are looking at a fall date for this 175 head dispersal.
Each year, the genetic base used to express genetic evaluations in Canada is updated in conjunction with the first official release. The definition of each genetic base used is therefore as follows:
The table below indicates the amount of base change realized in 2020 compared to 2019 for each trait and breed. For LPI, the following base adjustments reflect the change to the new scale with half the variance compared to previous years.
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) member cooperatives accepted 28 offers of export assistance from CWT that helped them capture sales contracts for 2.013 million pounds (913 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, 330,693 pounds (150 metric tons) of butter, 132,227 pounds (60 metric tons) of anhydrous milkfat, 74,957 pounds (34 metric tons) of cream cheese, and 1.803 million pounds (818 metric tons) of whole milk powder. The product is going to customers in Asia, Central and South America, and the Middle East. The products will be delivered from April through September 2020.
CWT-assisted member cooperative export sales contracts for 2020 total 10.869 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 1.607 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat), 132,227 pounds of anhydrous milkfat 1.915 million pounds of cream cheese and 10.593 million pounds of whole milk powder. The product is going to 22 countries in six regions. These sales are the equivalent of 232 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively affects all U.S. dairy farmers and all dairy cooperatives by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price. It does this by helping member cooperatives gain and maintain world market share for U.S dairy products. As a result, the program has significantly expanded the total demand for U.S. dairy products and the demand for U.S. farm milk.
The amounts of dairy products and related milk volumes reflect current contracts for delivery, not completed export volumes. CWT pays export assistance to the bidders only when export and delivery of the product is verified by required documentation.
All dairy farmers and dairy cooperatives should invest in CWT. Membership information is available on the CWT website.
The Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) Export Assistance program is funded by voluntary contributions from dairy cooperatives and individual dairy farmers. The money raised by their investment is being used to strengthen and stabilize the dairy farmers’ milk prices and margins. For more information about CWT, visit www.cwt.coop.
A Wisconsin creamery cooperative is offering dairy farmers an incentive to quit an industry stung first by years of low milk prices and then by the coronavirus.
A letter from the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery board of directors to members offers to pay their equity in the cooperative from 2010 to 2019 if the farmers meet certain criteria, WSAW-TV reported.
“We know we have farmers that are not sure whether they are going to exit farming this year or next year,” cooperative spokesman Paul Bauer said. “We felt that this was a way to incent our farmers to exit the business, perhaps a little earlier than what they expected, for the betterment of the entire patron base.”
Paul LIppert, who runs a Wood County dairy farm with his father and brother, said the cooperative is trying to help its farmers. He said there’s “a glut of milk” and it doesn’t look like ” things are going to get better very quickly.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has added to the industry’s troubles. Several farms throughout Wisconsin have been asked to dispose of their milk while production plants struggle to keep up with the milk that is being produced.
Jim Moore has been involved in dairy farming for most of his life, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, he says his industry and the ones he serves have been affected.
Moore told 12 News the milk produced from his 80 cows at the Moore-Stream Farm is picked up every other day, but on Sunday, he found it wasn’t going where he thought it was.
“The milk truck driver couldn’t look me in the eye because he told me it’s going in a manure pit today,” Moore said, “Didn’t go to a processor, it got dumped in the manure pit.”
Many restaurants and bars have either closed or moved to solely delivery and pick-up options as part of New York’s fight against COVID-19.
But Moore says that business for restaurants and the food industry is also key for dairy farmers, and has hit his wallet hard.
“I’m scared for all the small farms. The restaurant and food industry has slowed down, they take a third of the milk products in this country,” Moore said. “From one month to the month before, I lost $2000. $2000 goes a long way to pay my fuel bill.”
Those dollars aren’t just vital for him and his farm operations, but also for business partners.
“The people I do business with count on my money to put product back in their line to sell to me,” Moore said.
But despite the frustration he has at the economy, he’s not ready to quit, but is asking for some help.
“I can’t give up yet,” Moore said. “These banks are going to have to help the farmers out, not just shut the door in your face.”
Restaurants have been shuttered for weeks. Farms have been struggling with labor shortages for years. And grocery stores have been running out of bread, meat and eggs.
So what does that all mean for the national food supply during the COVID-19 pandemic?
The short answer is that U.S. agriculture is strong enough to handle it, with farmers still farming and no major shortages in sight, experts say. But because consumers recently have changed the way they buy and consume food, various snags in the food supply chain have led to disruptions, including truckloads of raspberries getting turned back from market and dairy businesses dumping thousands of gallons of milk.
“There will be enough food produced on the farm,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. But “there’s a lot of things that happen to the food before it gets to the consumer, whether it be in processing or transportation. If this thing was to get worse, what problems come along with that? None of us really know.”
Panic-buying and stockpiling by consumers have cleared supermarket shelves of certain foods in the meantime, creating the appearance of a problem. But those shelves are soon restocked, and the frenzy is expected to subside as supply chains adjust and home refrigerators run out of room.
The pandemic still has different ways it could impact food prices and dinner tables across the U.S., which imports only about 15% of its overall food supply.
The drastic reduction in restaurant dining could lead to cheaper butter while also putting some farms in financial despair. Unpredictable consumer shopping surges could cause more produce trucks to be delayed or redirected at a loss. The virus also could infect scores of farmworkers, adding to a series of concerns from farm to table.
Labor shortages in the fields
This problem preceded the pandemic but could get tangled up by it even more. Temporary foreign visa workers made up 20% of the country’s farm workforce, with most coming from Mexico, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Approximately 250,000 of these workers were approved to work in the U.S. in 2019.
But then when the coronavirus outbreak flared in March, the U.S. suspended routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing services, raising concerns from American farms about being cut off from this labor supply. After hearing these concerns, the U.S. State Department since has eased requirements for these workers, much to the relief of farmers, who say they need their specialized help.
“Even with those 250,000, we still don’t have all our jobs filled, so we really need to have those 250,000,” Duvall told USA TODAY.
Duvall said he is hopeful that the loosening of restrictions will help meet farms’ labor needs. So is Carolyn O’Donnell, spokeswoman for the California Strawberry Commission, which represents more than 400 strawberry farmers, shippers and processors.
“Labor is always a concern for strawberries,” O’Donnell said. “They are hand-planted, hand-weeded, handpicked and hand-packed.”
At the same time, there’s a pandemic on the loose.
What if the farmworkers get sick?
Farms in California will have about 20,000 workers in the fields in coming weeks picking berries for Driscoll’s, the world’s largest berry supplier. What if 15% of them get sick?
“You just won’t be able to pick the whole crop,” said Soren Bjorn, president of Driscoll’s of the Americas.
Bjorn told USA TODAY his company has planned for such worst-case scenarios and has worked with partner farms to mitigate this risk by breaking up workers into groups of 10 instead of 30, staggering breaks and adding hand-washing stations, among other measures.
Prevention efforts still vary by farm. Many farmworkers also are undocumented, poor and not likely to stay home if sick because they need the money.
“Not all, but most of the companies are not taking the necessary precautions, such as informing the workers about what COVID-19 is and the basic kind of protocols they should be following to take care of their health,” said Arcenio Lopez, executive director of the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project, which supports indigenous migrant communities in California’s Central Coast.
In theory, the cratering economy could lead to a larger labor supply, helping fill any farm labor shortages. But these are specialized jobs that not everybody wants even if they’re unemployed.
“There just aren’t a lot of people out there who are going take these jobs,” Bjorn said. “There will be some… But if you have a very large outbreak, of 15 or 20% of the population, there won’t be a way to back-fill that.”
Even if farm workers are young and might not get sick, the risk of a workforce reduction still looms over farms and their crops.
“The food supply for our nation is planted already, and if you have no way to harvest your crop, you not only lose the opportunity to supply consumers now, you begin to reduce the overall quantity and availability of food in the future,” said Hector Lujan, CEO of Reiter Affiliated Companies, which grows Driscoll’s berries in the U.S. and Mexico.
Why restaurants being closed makes butter cost less
In 2018, food away from home accounted for about 54% of the $1.7 trillion in U.S. spending on food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the age of COVID-19, the seismic shift from dining out to dining in already has rippled through dairy industry, creating a situation in which there is too much butter from the farms and not enough bread in the stores.
On the one hand, the surge in demand for some food products at retail stores can be accommodated in part because restaurants are no longer are using as much supply.
On the other hand, some products “just don’t transition well into the retail space” from restaurants, said John Newton, chief economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation. “A good example of that is butter. Much more butter is used in restaurants and bakeries than what people use at home. So you’ve seen spot market prices for butter and cheese fall pretty sharply since this started.”
The price per pound of Grade AA butter has dropped from $1.86 on March 6 to $1.28 April 3, according to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The drop might not lead to lower prices at the grocery store anytime soon because retailers might not immediately pass that reduction to consumers.
But the pandemicalready has stressed dairy businesses, forcing some in Wisconsin to discard thousands of gallons of milk after school and restaurant closures disrupted supply chains and wiped out a big chunk of the demand for dairy.
“It’s such a terrible thing,” said Julie Sweney, spokeswoman for the FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative in Wisconsin. “We’re hopeful we’re able to secure some emergency measures that will help support diary farmers through this time.”
The cost of food without a steady paycheck
While meat is in high demand from consumers now, the falling futures market for meat has concerned farmers, said Newton, the economist. This is based onexpectations of a shell-shocked economy and depressed demand because of lost jobs leaving consumers without enough money.
“The 2008 financial crisis showed us what can happen when reduced income and uncertainty make people spend less and result in shrinking demand,” said a report on COVID-19 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. “Sales declined. So did production.”
This, in turn, could lead to a shift of what farms produce and what kind of food consumers eat. Much will depend on how well the recent economic stimulus package works from Congress, with some Americans soon getting one-time checks of $1,200.
If that’s not enough to sustain the purchasing power of laid-off workers, “then people may have to start saving on food and shift to cheaper and potentially less healthy foods,” said Rob Vos, director of the Markets, Trade and Institutions Division of the International Food Policy Research Institute.
Specialty farms that supplied upscale restaurants with local, organic food also may suffer because of restaurant closings.
“Any product that is on the fancy end will have more reduced demand,” said Dan Sumner, director of the University of California Agricultural Issues Center. “That always happens in a recession and when there is uncertainty.”
Access and delays
Some local governments, including in San Diego, shut down farmers’ markets in March, but others have classified them as essential businesses during the pandemic, helping keep commerce flowing from farm to table. These are open-air alternatives to supermarkets, with the usual precautions emphasized, including social distancing and washing the produce, although there is no evidence that supports the transmission of COVID-19 by food.
Hoarding still has been prevalent but is expected to subside. Many are open for business in California and elsewhere.
“Our meat was selling out in an hour and a half at all these markets,” said Gail Hayden, director of the California Farmers’ Markets Association. “There’s no shortages, just overbuying, and then there’s a lag filling up the supplies in the traditional system.”
This also happened with a recent order of more than 10 truckloads of Driscoll’s raspberries. The customer canceled at the last minute after getting too backed up with other produce, Bjorn said. He said retailers had pushed produce down their priority lists in an effort to get other high-demand products back on the shelves, including toilet paper, Bjorn said.
Fruit wasn’t getting to the stores in time as a result, and some of it spoiled in the delay. In this case, Driscoll’s fresh raspberries got redirected into becoming frozen raspberries, causing Driscoll’s and its partner farms to get only 20 cents on the dollar in return.
Bjorn is hopeful these kinks are smoothing out as consumers develop more regular shopping patterns. Other questions remain, such as whether customers are willing to buy what they normally buy at peak berry supply in May.
Supply shortages won’t be the issue then either.
“The food supply chain is remarkably resilient and effective,” Sumner wrote in an e-mail. “Sure there are little inconveniences. But the basics are in great shape.”
When reports of the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the US, very few people had likely heard of coronaviruses—with some notable exceptions: cattle producers and their veterinarians.
It’s not that people involved with cattle health have any particular insight into the increasing human toll the novel coronavirus is inflicting. Rather, it’s a reflection that generations of cattle producers have recognized coronavirus as a significant cause of diarrhea in their young calves.
What’s the connection between the novel coronavirus (designated “SARS-CoV 2”) causing COVID-19 across the world and the “scours” germ cow-calf and dairy producers deal with? Except for the name, very little.
There are many different versions of human and animal coronaviruses throughout the world. Many animal caretakers have probably dealt with coronavirus infections for years without realizing it. Swine producers and their vets have fought Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) Virus and (historically) Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE) Virus. Companion animal veterinarians recognize Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) Virus as a cause of illness in cats – all coronaviruses.
Considering the above list, it should be apparent that the vast majority of these coronaviruses stick to their own species. No human or cross-species illnesses have resulted from bovine coronaviruses, PED, TGE, or FIP.
This is due to the very specific molecular makeup of the “spikes” on the surface of each different coronavirus version. In order for coronaviruses to cause infection, these specific spike molecules need to attach to very specific molecules on a body cell, in a lock-and-key fashion. Pig cells have different surface molecules than do calf cells, than do human cells, and so on. Additionally, respiratory cells have different surface molecules than do intestinal cells. This explains why different coronavirus strains affect specific species and body systems.
It also explains the variability in the usefulness of different coronavirus vaccines (fair for bovine coronavirus, good for TGE, poor for PEDV) in animals. Additionally, it also highlights the fact that our current animal coronavirus vaccines have no utility for people in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic. Severe adverse reactions (due to the additives in these products) can result from people using animal vaccines for themselves.
Yet changes can occur to these viral molecules over time. A small shift in the molecular structure of the spike, and you may end up with a virus that can affect a different part of the body or different species.
In investigating where COVID-19 cases began, authorities have pointed the finger at a “wet market” in one Chinese city. Wet markets are fascinating places where people can buy supplies, food, and live animals. The variety and number of live animals for sale can be astounding: chickens, pigeons, bats, rodents, snakes, and more. Throw in thousands of human shoppers and you have a unique opportunity for viruses to “try out” infecting species besides their normal host. Sometimes – apparently in this case – it works.
There’s some historical precedence to fall back on here. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) took the world by storm in the early 2000’s. With its likely origin in a bat, it looks like that coronavirus slowly circulated among people in wet markets before it became efficient at infecting people. MERS (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome) emerged quite similarly more recently – with origins in bats and camels. Much more commonly, other circulating “normal” coronaviruses cause cold symptoms in people everywhere.
Could common animal coronaviruses (e.g., bovine coronavirus or PEDV) ever morph into viruses that make people sick? Despite our long history with these germs, it hasn’t happened yet. When PEDV splashed into the world of pork production in 2013, it wasn’t because of a change in the virus: it simply was moved from overseas to the US.
Despite its likely animal origin, the current coronavirus causing COVID-19 hasn’t yet made animals sick where human illnesses have been common. That’s the good news for our animals. Swings in global financial markets have occurred due to worries about restrictions on travel and other human activity, not any perceived problem with livestock or the food supply.
But things can change. The COVID-19 situation bears close watching, especially if evidence emerges that the virus is behaving in a different manner than currently expected.
“The processing plant has so much capacity and if milk’s not leaving the processing plant, they’re not taking it in and since we’re dealing with a perishable product, there’s some time sensitivity involved in it,” he said.
Spreng said he had to dump 6,200 pounds of milk on Thursday.
“We’ve gotta feed these cows tomorrow, we’ve gotta care for them, we have a staff of 10 full-time excellent employees who have been here every day through this pandemic and they have families at home,” he said.
“The dairy industry has been really turned around 180 degrees,” said Ty Higgins with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.
They and the American Dairy Association Mideast said the loss of the restaurant and school markets have changed the production chain.
“The milk that went to produce cheese and yogurt and butter now is being produced for more fluid milk,” said Higgins.
“The underlying issue to all this is we’re getting word and experiencing ourselves that retailers are reducing and restricting the amount of dairy products available to consumers,” explained Spreng.
American Dairy Association Mideast CEO Scott Higgins said discussions have been positive with grocers.
“Our message to our grocers and our grocer association is that there’s plenty of dairy products to meet their need, to lift those limits,” he said.
Scott Higgins said Kroger tells him they are getting the message out to their stores to remove limits.
“There are many other stores that are doing the same thing and slowly but surely we’re getting that message out,” he said.
The organizations and farmers said this goes beyond the dairy industry and many other jobs and households could be impacted.
“One of the stories that we received from our local food bank is that they had gone to purchase 38 gallons of milk for that week’s distribution and were not able to get it,” said Spreng.
Food banks are an area Scott said he’s working to supply with the surplus.
“We’re working as quickly as we can with the Ohio Association of Foodbanks and Ohio’s foodbanks to find a home for some of these dairy products that have no place to go right now,” he said.
One viewer told us her local grocery store lifted their limits after she called them. The bureau asks anyone who sees a store limiting the purchase quantity on milk to take a photo of the limit sign, note the location, date and time, and email it to Erin.Brown@Drink-Milk.com.
COVID-19 has brought the U.S. economy to a screeching halt, ushering in a recession in the process. For most businesses, the sudden stop to the economy is more jolting than the financial crisis of 2008 and has forced hard, immediate decisions about employees and finances. According to a new Quarterly report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, COVID-19 has also underscored the critically important nature of agriculture and other industries essential to rural America.
“This quarter will largely define the next year in terms of the economy and how severe the damage caused by the coronavirus will be,” said Dan Kowalski, vice president, Knowledge Exchange, CoBank. “Nearly everyone will be impacted to varying degrees and the pace of the recovery will be uneven. But the economy had been on good footing and it’s entirely possible that we can get back to reasonable strength within a few quarters.” The U.S. grain sector remains stuck in a rut, with pressure on commodity prices, weakening basis for corn and soybeans in some markets, and export volatility likely over the next two to three months. Since 2020 began, corn prices have declined by 12% and soybeans prices have dropped by 7%.
While crop farming fundamentals remain challenging, ag retailers enter the 2020 growing season on relatively stable footing. Retailers are optimistic for a full agronomy season given pent-up demand for fertilizer and crop protection products following last year’s complicated and wet fall application season.
The U.S. ethanol complex is navigating through an extremely difficult operating environment exacerbated by the recent collapse in crude oil and gasoline prices and a virtual overnight evaporation of demand. Several large players have restructured or exited the business, with more expected to do so over the next three months.
The U.S. chicken industry entered 2020 with optimism largely driven by expectations for renewed exports to China. That focus swiftly changed to the domestic market in early March when the spread of the coronavirus dramatically shifted the U.S. market to at-home eating, boosting chicken demand. Chicken production grew 7.7% in the first two months of 2020.
The U.S. cattle complex has seen a swift and sharp decline in the last month following the drop in global equities and oil prices. Since mid-January, April live cattle futures have fallen by approximately 25%. The beef complex profit pool is shifting in favor of packers at the cost of lower feeding margins. The loss of restaurant and foodservice customers due to COVID-19 will test beef prices this spring.
China’s demand for U.S. pork has set export records, but it hasn’t led to strong prices or profit margins. While international demand has been significantly higher than last year, so has U.S. pork supply. Hog producers are expected to realize negative margins through April, before margins turn to positive territory this summer. To realize strong margins, producers will need strong export growth to continue.
Milk prices have fallen precipitously in recent weeks due to COVID-19. The seasonal increase in milk supplies with the spring flush was met with economic weakness in China and other countries, impacting dairy exports. School closings have impacted fluid milk consumption. Home stockpiling has provided some price support, but not enough to offset the losses related to food service.
Despite strong exports, cotton prices have sunk to new lows on fears of slower global economic growth. U.S. cotton exporters are optimistic of faster export pace following India’s announcement of lockdown into the first half of April, which may impair India’s cotton export pace. Meanwhile, rough rice futures surged to new highs, driven by a surge in retail rice sales and tighter global stocks.
U.S. specialty crop growers are fearing an even tighter labor situation unfolding this spring as processing of new H-2A visa applications in Mexico is impaired by COVID-19 complications. Specialty crops growers have benefited from the surge in produce sales at grocery stores but saw reduced exports due to logistical issues related to COVID-19.
Broad segments of the power and energy sectors are likely to realize falling revenues in Q2 2020 and possibly beyond. Electric utilities will suffer from weakening electricity consumption by the commercial and industrial sectors. Rural water systems will also face challenges during the economic downturn.
The full Quarterly report is available on cobank.com. Each CoBank Quarterly provides updates and an outlook for the Global and U.S. Economic Environment; U.S. Agricultural Markets; Grains, Biofuels and Farm Supply; Animal Protein; Dairy; Other Crops; Specialty Crops and Rural Infrastructure Industries.
From 2002 to 2019 the state of Texas had the biggest increase in milk production in the U.S. both in absolute and relative terms. Texas increased milk production by 8.55 billion pounds, which represents 160% increase from 2002 to 2019 (Figure 1).
During this time frame, Texas went from being the No. 10 to the No. 5 state in milk production in the U.S. If these trends continue, in the next few years Texas might surpass New York state and become No. 4. In 2019, Texas and New Mexico combined produced 10% of the milk in the U.S. (22 billion of the 218 billion pounds produced in the country) highlighting the economic importance the dairy industry has for this region. Roughly, 80% of the milk production in New Mexico takes place in the East region of the state and a similar proportion of the milk in Texas is produced in the Panhandle. Therefore, combined, the Texas Panhandle and Eastern New Mexico region is one of the biggest milksheds in the country.
Similarly, Idaho and Michigan milk production increased considerably from 2002 to 2019 (91.7% and 91.5% respectively). The only state that showed a decrease in milk production was Pennsylvania. This is explained by the decrease of milk cow inventory in the state (Figure 2) due to longstanding consolidation of the dairy industry combined with several years of low milk prices that led to acceleration of small dairies running out of business in the Midwest.
What was the cause of the increase in milk production in Texas?
The biggest factor driving the increased production was a significant growth of the dairy cow inventory in the state. In 2002, there were roughly 310,000 dairy cows in Texas whereas there are over 580,000 today (almost 90% increase, Figure 2). This increase occurred in the Panhandle area of Texas that had less than 20,000 dairy cows in 2001 and now has over 400,000 dairy cows. This was associated with dairy farmers moving mostly from the West coast of the U.S., but also from other states of the country or regions of Texas, to the Panhandle.
However, increase growth of dairy cow inventory was not the only factor contributing to increase milk production in Texas. Improvements in genetic selection, nutrition, environment, reproduction and management practices have contributed to the increase of milk production.
What are some opportunities for the future?
– Use of precision technologies and automation to facilitate daily tasks, and accurately measure behavioral and production variables to guide managerial decisions intended to improve animal performance and welfare.
– Develop Extension programs to train farm managers and workers on sustainable dairy practices and best animal welfare practices.
– Perform research to improve use of ground water irrigation, digestibility of drought tolerant crops, and nutrient management in dairy operations.
– Continued genetic improvements to decrease disease susceptibility, improve reproductive performance and feed efficiency which will have a positive impact on the environment.
– Provide unbiased, science-based information on agricultural practices and nutritional value of dairy products to build transparency and trust with consumers.
– Educational programs for the youth including field trips to dairies to show daily activities and job opportunities in the industry to engage and encourage them to pursue a career in the dairy industry.
References
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2002, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2020. Milk Production.
The Australian dairy industry has reinforced its intention to maintain milk flow during COVID-19 concerns, putting practices in place to ensure this happens.
It is with great sadness that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 
Fourteen sires graduate to the daughter-proven ranks in the Select Sires, Accelerated Genetics and GenerVations lineups. Graduating sires include 10 Holsteins, two Jerseys, one Brown Swiss and one Milking Shorthorn. Select Sires remains committed to match the genetic requests of all customer-owners, regardless of breed, environment or herd goals as directed by the cooperative’s sire committees. 
For dairy farmers in the United States, the timing of the Covid-19 pandemic could hardly be worse.
A controversial Eastern Oregon dairy is officially under new ownership, though it will likely be months before state regulators decide if the facility can reopen.
Genosource CAPTAIN (A2A2) takes charge in the United Kingdom at +882 PLI £ and 1.59 TM. No less than 92 points ahead of FG Kenobi Targaryen at 790 PLI £. Rounding out the top three is Denovo 15158 Admiral at 774 PLI £ who poses a great combination with 1.89 TM. Bomaz AltaTopshot at 708 PLI. Is the #1 daughter proven PLI sire of this April 2020 run. Topping the Type Merit bulls in the genomic bulls lists is Peak AltaHotjob at 2.99 TM. Followed by Crushtime his full brother Oh-River-Syc Crushabull at 2.91 TM. Siemers Lambda Haniko claims the third spot at 2.87 TM. Remarkable is the #1 daughter proven Type Merit bull in the U.K.: R&W sire Gen-I-Beq Attico-Red guarantees for 3.43 TM that also makes him also the #1 TYPE MERIT bull.
The Italian PFT list has a new number one and his name is Progenesis Matchpoint at +4632 PFT. Only 13 points behind is the #1 in from Switzerland: Plain-Knoll SI Magnitude at +4619 PFT.Rounding out the top sires is Westcoast Boulevard at +4619 PFT.
Plain-Knoll SI MAGNITUDE makes a grand debut in Switzerland as the #1 ISET sire at +1754 ISET. Almost 100 points behind is S-S-I Rolan BRAWN at +1674 ISET. Who is then followed by former #1 sire Stantons ETHYMOLOGY at +1663 ISET.
There is a new leader in the German RZG system, and his name is CAPTAIN. This Hurtgenlea Richard Charl has a +169 RZG and is followed by Benz son BEST BENZ at +165 RZG. Rounding out the top sires is Gendry at +163 RZG. The highest new release sire is a Rio son Gen RAVE who came tied at #4 RZG with a +161 RZG.
When the dust settles over the coronavirus, it is critical that all levels of government assist industry to rebuild.
Dairy farmers in one of Canada’s largest milk-producing province are poised to dump millions of litres of milk due to coronavirus.
Restaurants have been shuttered for weeks. Farms have been struggling with labor shortages for years. And grocery stores have been running out of bread, meat and eggs.
