Dairyline Markets in Review

Chuck ZimmermanDairyline, Markets

DairylineDairy Markets Week in Review
Block cheese closed Friday, May 4th, at $1.7025 per pound, up 15 1/4-cents on the week, 54 1/4-cents above a year ago, and the highest it’s been since January 2005. Block had gained 27 3/4-cents over the last 14 consecutive trading sessions.

Barrel gave up three-quarters of a cent on Friday but closed at $1.6350, up 14 cents on the week, and 51 cents above a year ago. Ten cars of block traded hands on the week and 25 of barrel. The NASS U.S. average block price hit $1.4210, up 1.6 cents. Barrel averaged $1.4459, up 2.1 cents.

Butter closed Friday at $1.4550, up 4 3/4-cents on the week, and 28 cents above a year ago. Nothing sold in the spot market. NASS butter averaged $1.3684, up 2 cents. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged $1.5192, up 3.1 cents, but dry whey lost 1.2 cents, averaging 78.13 cents per pound, the first decrease since early March.

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.

Rumensin Free Claim Appears on Milk Label

News EditorAnimal Health, Industry News, Milk

ElancoLogoThis is new – a milk label claiming that the product is “All Natural, Farm Fresh. Free of Antibiotics, Rumensin, rBST.” The claim is being made by Sno-Fresh Dairy in Washington, and is the first time rumensin has been listed as part of a label claim. The company that makes rumensin, Elanco Animal Health, is keeping a close eye on the situation and is responding to the dairy’s claim.

According to Dennis Erpelding, manager of corporate affairs for Elanco Animal Health, “We are looking at this from a broader perspective. We understand that different producers use different production practices, that there are different consumer choices, and that this small bottler believes his customers want this product.” However, rumensin, rBST and antibiotics are all FDA-approved and safe to use. Rumensin was approved for dairy cows in the United States in 2004, and has been used around the world since 1978. “Rumensin is a widely-accepted technology by producers and consumers around the world,” adds Erpelding.

Tenth Case of BSE in Canada

News EditorAnimal Health, Industry News, International

Canada has confirmed their tenth case of BSE since 2003. The mature dairy cow was found in the providence of British Columbia and was 66 months old.

The cow was born and died on a farm in the western part of the province’s Fraser River valley. The case is the tenth found in Canadian cattle since 2003, and the second in less than three months. Many of the cases have been blamed on exposure to contaminated feed. The agency is now seeking the cow’s herdmates to ensure they do not enter the human food supply or animal feed systems.

Canada has a goal of eliminating BSE from its cattle herd within 10 years. The disease has caused major problems for beef and cattle exports to the large U.S. market. The United States has allowed imports of Canadian beef from young cattle since September 2003, as well as young live cattle starting in 2005. However it continues to ban live cattle over the age of 30 months as well as beef from those animals.

Mayfield Announces Priobiotic Milk

News EditorHealth, Industry News, Milk

NutureMayfieldMayfield Dairy Farms has announced the launch of Nurture by Mayfield, a 1% Lowfat milk and a 2% Reduced Fat milk containing probiotic cultures clinically proven to boost the body’s immune system. Be sure to check out the blog that Mayfield hosts too!

Mayfield pioneered the addition of probiotics to milk more than 20 years ago with NuTrish, the first milk in the United States to contain probiotic cultures known to aid digestion and ease lactose intolerance. In light of new research that demonstrates health benefits of probiotics extend far beyond digestion alone, Mayfield is replacing NuTrish with Nurture.

“Twenty years ago when we first began selling NuTrish, scientific studies showed that probiotic cultures such as acidophilus and bifidum aided digestion,” said Scottie Mayfield, president of Mayfield Dairy Farms. “Now clinical research shows these live cultures actually boost the immune system. So by doing something most people do everyday–drink milk–consumers can actually strengthen their body’s natural defenses,” said Mayfield.

Adams Retires from NMPF

News EditorAgribusiness, Industry News

A long-time National Milk Producers Federation employee, John Adams, has announced his retirement, effective July 1st.

John has served the NMPF membership since 1970, and has been active in supporting dairy producer and cooperative goals in a variety of areas, including, most recently, as Director of Animal Health and Farm Services. John’s experience and expertise will be sorely missed at NMPF and we wish him well in his retirement and any future endeavors with the agriculture industry.

Wisconsin Facts

News EditorIndustry News

wisckidsWisconsin has a strong dairy business, that we know. But, in what areas of the industry does the state lead the nation? Find out below. We’d love to hear from other states too!

The Wisconsin dairy industry is big business. Dairy producers across the state continue to modernize and enhance their dairy farms, and cheese and dairy production plants are expanding and diversifying to meet changing consumer tastes. As a result, Wisconsin leads way in the vibrant business of dairy:

· Wisconsin leads the nation in the number of dairy herds in the 200- to 500-cow range.
· Wisconsin continues to lead the nation and the world in the types, styles and varieties of cheeses we produce (now over 600).
· Wisconsin is home to cheesemakers who continue to win more awards than any other state or country.

Publix Goes rbST Free

News EditorIndustry News, Milk

PublixLogoAnother U.S. dairy is going rbST free for its milk supply. Publix Super Markets Inc., a Florida based grocery store, bottles its own milk for their more than 900 stores.

Bowing to rising consumer health concerns, Publix Super Markets Inc. banned synthetic growth hormones from its entire line of store-brand milk effective today. Publix brands from whole milk to fat free to chocolate are affected, but customers will not pay a premium for it as they do for several organic brands.

The grocer now requires dairy farmers in the southeast Florida cooperative that supplies the 901-store chain’s dairy plants with its milk to sign statements they have not injected herds with the bioengineered growth hormone rbST.

Publix will change its milk labels to “all natural” and eliminate its Greenwise line as duplicative. Publix will not promote its brand as “growth hormone free” because the FTC has ruled all cows have natural growth hormones, so that would be misleading advertising.

Dairy Leaders Conference Successful

News EditorIndustry News, Training

The 2007 National Dairy Leaders Conference in Stevenson, Washington was a huge success! The conference, hosted by National Milk Producers Federation, hosted almost 200 industry leaders.

The three-day conference focused on many of the high-profile issues affecting the dairy industry today, including the development of the next Farm Bill, organic marketing trends, animal biotechnology, cheese industry economics, and the push for renewable farm-based energy sources.

Steve Krikava of Land O’Lakes moderated a session on what various agricultural groups are seeking in the 2007 Farm Bill. Mary Kay Thatcher spoke about the American Farm Bureau Federation’s approach to this year’s farm bill.

There were two separate farm tours during this year’s NDLC. One group traveled to Pacific coast and visited Tillamook County Creamery and the Martin’s Dairy farm. The other group went east to Sunnyside Washington, where they visited the Darigold cheese facility, the Dan & George DeRuyter farm, as well as a local winery.

William Jorgenson, Michael Marsh and Dr. Brian Perkins participated in the renewable energy panel discussion. The panel explored how farmers all over the country farmers are looking for new ways to produce and conserve energy. NMPF’s Rob Byrne moderated a session on animal identification. The panel featured Dr. David Morris with USDA to give the perspective of the federal government.

Doyle Joins Foremost Farms

News EditorAgribusiness, Industry News

Congrats to Michael Doyle, the new vice president-finance and chief financial officer of Foremost Farms USA. Doyle is a former Land O’Lakes executive.

Doyle most recently served as the chief financial officer of Creekstone Farms Premium Beef L.L.C. of Arkansas City, Kan. Prior to that, he spent more than 11 years with Land O’Lakes, Arden Hills, Minn. He joined Land O’Lakes as the controller of the agricultural center division and was promoted through the ranks of the company’s ag and feed division where he was promoted to vice president-finance/operations. Foremost Farms USA operates 20 plants and two milk transfer stations for its 3,000 dairy farmer-members in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

CWT Export Assistance Bids

Chuck ZimmermanDairy Group, Export

Cooperatives Working TogetherHere’s the latest announcement from Cooperatives Working Together:

Cooperatives Working Together announced today that it accepted two export assistance bids last week for the sale of cheese. Both bids were from Land O’Lakes of Arden Hills, MN, for identical volumes of retail-packaged cheese: 3.4 metric tons (7,480 lbs.) of cheese to Qatar, and another 3.4 tons of cheese to Saudi Arabia.

These accepted bids increase CWT’s total 2007 export obligations for cheese to 5,135 metric tons (11.3 million lbs.), its YTD anhydrous milkfat exports to 1,643 tons (3.6 million lbs.), and its YTD export obligations for butter to 4,572 metric tons (10.1 million lbs.).