AgriLabs Introduces Encrypt

News EditorAgribusiness, Animal Health, Industry News

untitled-1AgriLabs introduces First Arrival® with Encrypt™, a paste that enhances the natural immunity of beef and dairy calves, bolstering their immune protection and helping them cope with scours.

“First Arrival is specially formulated for newborn calves, and contains targeted egg-yolk proteins that help combat eight common scour-causing pathogens,” says William Vaughn, AgriLabs business unit manager. “It also contains lactic-acid-producing bacteria and other ingredients that provide additional nutrients.

“In addition, First Arrival contains Encrypt, a unique carbon extract with antimicrobial properties that decreases scour-causing pathogens and promotes growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract,” Vaughn continues.

Calves are born with naïve immune systems in environments that are filled with disease-causing pathogens. They only are able to fight these pathogens because of the passive transfer they receive from maternal antibodies in colostrum. The passive transfer must happen within 24 hours of birth; after that, they can no longer can absorb large proteins like immunoglobulins (antibodies), even though it takes weeks for their own immune systems to fully develop. Unless an animal gets enough high-quality colostrum at the right time, it likely will have an immunity gap.

“Although maternal colostrum is the ideal source of antibodies to combat these pathogens, the reality is that not all colostrum is of high quality and not every calf gets enough,” says Roger Winter, DVM, AgriLabs technical services veterinarian. “Scours are the leading cause of sickness in newborn calves1, and First Arrival can help overcome the immunity gap, decreasing the risk of disease and death.”

First Arrival paste for calves is available in boxes of 12 60-gram, dial-a-dose tubes. Administer 20 grams for mild scours, 40 grams for moderate scours and 60 grams for severe scours. It is highly palatable, easy to use, maintains effectiveness even when stored for long periods of time, and does not require a withdrawal period.

Dairyline Markets In Review

Chuck ZimmermanDairyline, Markets

DairylineDairy Markets Week in Review
Cash cheese saw some ups and downs the second week of 2009 as it awaited Friday afternoon’s release of preliminary December milk production data and got word that the European Union is restarting its dairy export subsidies, something that will surely have repercussions on the world dairy market.

The CME block price inched higher on Monday, then saw three days of losses, but ended Friday on an up note and closed at $1.07 per pound, down a quarter-cent on the week, and 58 cents below that week a year ago when the blocks tumbled 20 cents, to $1.65.

Barrel closed Friday at $1.09, up 2 cents on the week, but 71 1/4-cents below a year ago. Nineteen cars of block traded hands on the week and 13 of barrel. The NASS U.S. average block price fell to $1.3471, down 13.1 cents. Barrel averaged $1.2804, down 15.7 cents.

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.

BetaStar Test Approved

News EditorAgribusiness, Industry News

neogenNeogen Corporation has received approval from the FDA and National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) for its quick and easy BetaStar(R)US test for dairy antibiotics in milk. This approval allows milk producers and processors in the United States to use Neogen’s new test to comply with FDA regulations that require the mandatory testing of milk for dairy antibiotics.

Neogen’s newly approved BetaStar(R) US test detects dairy antibiotic residues in the beta-lactam group (i.e., penicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin, cephapirin, cloxacillin, and penicillin G). BetaStar US is an extremely simple dipstick test that requires only minimal training and equipment to produce consistently accurate results.

“This approval process was very thorough, and proves that our new test is fully capable of delivering the accurate results that milk producers and processors demand,” said Ed Bradley, Neogen’s vice president for Food Safety. “BetaStar US was designed specifically for our domestic market, and is a new version of our BetaStar test that is a market leader in approximately 40 countries around the world.”

BetaStar US is one of the fastest dairy antibiotic tests available, and can be used on the farm, tanker, or in the laboratory. BetaStar US had previously earned an important approval from the AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI No. 030802) after rigorous testing.

Sustainability Conference Jan. 29

News EditorDairy Checkoff, Education, Industry News

i-29dairyconferenceThe 4th Annual I-29 Dairy Conference in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Jan. 29 will feature the dairy checkoff’s recent efforts on sustainability. The conference takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Best Western Ramkota in Sioux Falls A full agenda and registration form can be obtained online.

“Our consumer is looking for reassurance that our practices and products reflect their expectations, and we as dairy farmers need to make sure we’re sustainable from a profitability and resource management perspective,” said Jerry Messer, chairman of the checkoff-funded Midwest Dairy Association and a Richardton, N.D., dairy producer. “The industry-wide Sustainability Initiative addresses both.”

Rick Naczi of Dairy Management, Inc., who leads the initiative for the checkoff, is a featured speaker for the event, along with Charlie Arnot of the Center for Food Integrity, who works with the checkoff on consumer perception research.

Naczi’s presentation is entitled “Dairy Sustainability – Creating Value and Profitability from Cow to Consumer.” He’ll describe the industry-wide effort to create consumer value and how the project can improve the economic, environmental and social aspects of dairy production. Arnot’s topic is “Building Sustainable Systems: How Do We Balance Ethics, Science and Economics?” and includes a discussion of how dairy producers can build systems that meet consumer expectations and maintain profitability.

In addition, Donna Moenning, Midwest Dairy Association’s vice president of industry image and relations, will conduct a breakout session to help producers find practical ways to build relationships with neighbors and community.

Milk Sales in China Recovered

News EditorIndustry News, International, Markets, Milk

According to an article posted this week on Dairy Herd Management, China’s dairy industry has reportedly made a “stunning recovery” following the melamine scandal last fall.

Last month, sales of China-made milk were back up to 80 percent of the pre-scandal level, The Straits Times reported.

The government acted quickly to restore consumer confidence. Inspections were beefed up. And, approximately 60 people were arrested in connection with the scandal, with some trials already under way.

For U.S. dairy farmers, it is important that China’s confidence in milk products be restored. China/Hong Kong is one of the largest export markets for U.S. dairy products. (In 2007, it was the fourth largest export market.)

Besides being the most populous nation on Earth, with a fast-growing economy, China’s leadership is encouraging more dairy consumption. In 2007, the government released a new set of nutritional guidelines that encourage citizens to consume 300 grams of dairy per day — nearly a five-fold increase over current consumption in the urban areas.

In 2006, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visited a dairy farm in the Sichuan Province and proclaimed he had a dream to provide all Chinese, especially children, with approximately 18 ounces of milk per day. If his dream is realized, it will boost consumption by seven and one-half times the current amount.

New Johne’s Vaccine Developed

News EditorAnimal Health, Industry News, Research

Scientists at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine have developed a vaccine that prevents Johne’s disease, a condition that costs the dairy industry $220 million to $250 million annually. The breakthrough is published in the January 2009 issue of the journal Vaccine.

The Cornell team identified and prepared the antigen necessary for the vaccine development. Their antigen is licensed to the Biotechnology Research and Development Corp.

“Johne’s disease is one of the most important infectious diseases that threatens farmers,” said Yung-Fu Chang, Cornell professor of microbiology and the paper’s principal investigator. “Equally important, though, this organism has been suspected to be one of several possible contributing agents to Crohn’s disease that has similar pathologic lesions in people. The results of our research may offer useful information to those working with Crohn’s disease.”

The research was funded by grants from the Biotechnology Research and Development Corp., and a contract through a cooperative agreement between the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Elliot is New Southwestern Rep for Holstein

News EditorCompany Announcement, Holstein Association

holsteinlogoCongratulations to Jenny Elliot, Hico, Texas on her new position with Holstein Association USA. Elliot joins the company as the Southwestern Regional Representative and will provide support to Registered Holstein breeders in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Elliott is a December 2008 graduate of Tarleton State University, with a degree in Agricultural Services and Development, with an emphasis in Agricultural Communications. In college, she was active with the Dairy Judging team, Tarleton Dairy Club, and was a member of the Student Programming Association’s Traditions Committee. She has been recognized with the National Leadership Merit Award, and received the Tarleton Presidential Leadership Scholarship.

Growing up in the dairy industry, Elliott was active with the Texas Junior Holstein Association and enjoyed exhibiting her cattle at the local, state, and national levels.

Elliott has previously served as the Marketing Intern for Ag Workers Mutual Auto Insurance in Fort Worth, Texas. She will begin working in her area in January after Holstein Association USA’s Annual Sales Conference and her orientation and training in Brattleboro, Vt.

Dairy Promotion Leader Shows How Dairy Can Create Its Future

News EditorDairy Checkoff

dairycheckoffIn a rapidly changing business world, U.S. dairy producers have a great opportunity to work through the dairy checkoff to create their own future, according to Tom Gallagher, chief executive officer of Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff program.

“Dairy producers are creating their future through innovation, leadership and results,” Gallagher said, speaking at the 2008 National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB)/United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA)/National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) Joint Annual Meeting in Nashville. “They are seeing a positive return on their checkoff investment. And, they had the foresight to initiate the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy to address common industry challenges.”

By working together to create its own future, “the dairy industry can help solve some of the nation’s most pressing problems — producing safe and plentiful food, becoming energy-independent and overcoming obesity,” Gallagher said.

One measure of how dairy producers are creating their own future relates to positive results on their checkoff investment, Gallagher cited the annual USDA Report to Congress, which concluded that, from the years 1998 to 2007, the dairy checkoff returned $5 for every dollar dairy producers invested. In addition, the U.S. Dairy Export Council® has helped exports grow to nearly 11 percent of total dairy production.

Gallagher also pointed to the dairy checkoff’s success in forming partnerships that result in new products. Examples include:

* In foodservice, an investment of less than $10 million over the past five years has resulted in increased sales of more than a billion pounds of milk, cheese and yogurt each year. A partnership with Starbucks has resulted in the launch of Vivanno, a smoothie that contains milk and whey protein. The new product will use an estimated 550 million pounds of milk.

* A partnership with General Mills has resulted in Yoplait frozen yogurt chips that are blended with milk for an instant, delicious and nutritious drink.

* A school program that reaches more than 25 million children about the lifelong benefits of dairy, and that offers plastic, resealable bottles of milk in nearly 11,000 schools – at a time when rising costs could have forced those schools to scale back.

* A new five-year partnership with the National Football League® gives dairy unprecedented access to players and teams to help promote milk consumption and physical fitness in more than 40,000 schools across the country.

Dairyline Markets In Review

Chuck ZimmermanDairyline, Markets

DairylineDairy Markets Week in Review
Cash cheese prices have fallen below the government support level but ended the first full week of 2009 on an up note. The block price saw 17 consecutive trading sessions of loss before the bleeding stopped and rebounded 3 1/4-cents Friday, to close at $1.0725 per pound, down 6 cents on the week and 77 3/4-cents below that week a year ago when they plunged 30 1/4 cents, to $1.85.

Barrel closed Friday at $1.07, also down 6 cents on the week and 91 cents below a year ago when the barrels rolled down 11 cents, to $1.98. Thirty eight cars of block traded hands on the week and 11 of barrel. The NASS U.S. average block price fell 17.4 cents, to $1.4784 and barrel averaged $1.4373, down 19.6 cents.

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.

Pa. Unveiled Annual Butter Sculpture

News EditorButter, Media

butter 1 0108 dcg 22729.jpgPennsylvania’s dairy farmers today unveiled the 19th annual butter sculpture to kick off the 93rd Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. This year’s creamy creation, crafted from 900 pounds of butter donated by the Land O’Lakes plant in Carlisle, is a tribute to the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Since Benjamin Franklin formed the first Pennsylvania National Guard in 1747, the brave members have been ready to leave the comforts of home and farm to defend their nation’s interests and bring peace and hope throughout the world.

“Dairy farmers have a long and proud involvement in the Pennsylvania National Guard,” said Tom Croner, a Somerset County dairy farmer and chairman of the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program. “When the Guard first formed, dairy farmers laid down their farming equipment and picked up weapons to fight for our freedom. Today, we salute the men and women who work diligently to protect us.”

At the conclusion of the Pennsylvania Farm Show, the butter sculpture will march across the state to Erie, where it will be made into nearly 140 gallons of biodiesel at Lake Erie Biofuels. The company plans to donate the that fuel and more to the Pennsylvania National Guard for use in its operations.

Those attending today’s butter sculpture unveiling enjoyed music from “High Altitude” a popular music component of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard Band of the Mid-Atlantic under the direction of Master Sergeant Howard Boots. Invited guests included Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis C Wolff, Pennsylvania Dairy Princess LeeAnn Kapanick, Nelson Habecker representing Land O’Lakes, Blair County dairy farmer and Pennsylvania National Guardsman Ethan England, and Major General Jessica Wright of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Sculptor Jim Victor of Conshohocken, who has carved himself a niche using butter, chocolate and cheese as his mediums, created this year’s sculpture.Victor began crafting the design in mid-December and spent approximately two weeks creating the tribute to the Pennsylvania National Guard.
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The butter sculpture is sponsored annually by Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program on behalf of the Commonwealth’s dairy farmers. Funded by dairy farmers, the promotion organizations work to increase the demand for and sales of milk and dairy products in the Mid-Atlantic region.