Dairyline Markets In Review

Chuck ZimmermanDairyline, Markets

DairylineDairy Markets Week in Review
Yoyos are fun to play with but they raise havoc in dairy markets. The cash market in the last week of September gave back the previous week’s gains and then some with the exception of nonfat dry milk, which shot up Friday. Block cheese closed Friday at $1.26, down seven cents on the week, and 33 1/2-cents below a year ago. Barrel closed at $1.30, down four cents on the week, and 13 3/4-cents below a year ago. 11 cars of block traded hands on the week and two of barrel. The NASS U.S. average block price at $1.2834, lost 0.6 cent. Barrel averaged $1.3488, down 1.8 cents.

Milk supplies may be tight but mild weather is helping the girls put more of it in the tank, milk yields are increasing, and sufficient dairy product inventories are keeping concern to a minimum as to any shortages in the holiday buying season.

Butter closed at $1.3050, down 1 1/2-cents on the week, and 34 1/4-cents below a year ago. Two cars were sold. NASS butter averaged $1.2851, down a penny. Grade A nonfat dry milk shot up 12 cents yesterday, settling at $1.02. Extra Grade went up 11 cents to $1.01.

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.

CWT Export Assistance Bids

Chuck ZimmermanDairy Group, Export

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

  • Cooperatives Working Together announced today (Mondy, 9/25)that it accepted two export assistance bids last week for the sale of cheese. Both bids are from Land O’Lakes of Arden Hills, MN: one for the export of 40 metric tons (88,000 pounds) of Mozzarella cheese to the South Korea; and another for 20 metric tons (44,000 lbs.) of Mozzarella cheese to Taiwan. CWT will pay an export bonus to the bidder, once completion of the cheese shipments is verified.

    • Regional Dairy Challenges

    Chuck ZimmermanCompetition

    Dairy ChallengeIf you’re up to the challenge then some regional Dairy Challenge competitions are coming up.

    Here’s part of the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge mission statement: “To create an intercollegiate dairy management competition based on the examination of all aspects of a dairy business.”

  • The third annual Midwest Dairy Challenge will be held in the heart of America’s Dairyland from January 25 to 27, 2007. The contest will be hosted by Fond du Lac County University of Wisconsin-Extension and Moraine Park Technical College, and headquartered at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, Fond du Lac, Wis. To compete in the contest, an entry form must be completed and postmarked by Nov. 15, 2006, to American Dairy Science Association, 1111 North Dunlap Avenue, Savoy, IL 61874. An entry fee of $50 must accompany each entry.
  • The first Southern Regional Dairy Challenge event is being planned for Nov. 19-21, in Roanoke, Va., to introduce more young people in the South to the practice of dairy farm analysis. Information on becoming a sponsor or enrolling a team in the first Southern Dairy Challenge can be obtained by visiting the web site at www.dairychallenge.org. Contact Gary Hay at 225-578-4411 or e-mail ghay@agctr.lsu.edu for more information on sponsorship possibilities.
  • The 2006 Northeast Regional Event will be held October 19-21, 2006 in Waterloo, New York.

    • Memory Lane

    Chuck ZimmermanDairy Business, International

    Huntsville Dairy - OntarioI found this photo online and thought you might enjoy a trip down memory lane. According to the story, the photo was taken in Huntsville, Ontario in 1938.

    Appearing left to right are: Clifford Snell, Jack Philpott, unknown, Harold Bray, Wilbert Bray, Bert Horton (in suit), William Horton Sr. and Francis Horton (in upper window). The dairy processed raw milk into pasteurized milk and cream. They also sold ice for iceboxes, and large blocks of ice were stored in a building on site, covered in sawdust to prevent melting. The ice was cut and transported by Mr. Emberson Farnsworth and a crew of men on Hunter’s Bay directly in front of the rail station.

    29th Case of BSE Found in Japan

    Chuck ZimmermanIndustry News, International

    Here’s some big news from yesterday.

    Japan’s Agriculture Ministry said Thursday it confirmed that a cow from northern Japan had the country’s 29th case of mad cow disease. Tests on the 6 1/4 year-old dairy cow performed at the National Institute of Animal Health confirmed that the cow, which died at a ranch on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, was infected with the fatal illness. Japan has now confirmed 29 animals infected with the fatal illness — known formally as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE — since the first case in Japan was defected in 2001. Since then, Tokyo has begun taking steps to check every cow that is slaughtered or dies at ranches before it enters the food supply.

    Full Story.

    A Million Unit BLITZ

    Chuck ZimmermanGenetics

    Brian & Wendy FustBLITZ, as he is known, is shown here with his owners, Brian and Wendy Fust. He’s reached a milestone according to Select Sires.

    Select Sires is proud to announce an outstanding milestone for 7HO5708 Fustead Emory BLITZ-ET as he recently sold his one millionth unit of semen. “BLITZ has strengthened his position as a truly elite sire because of this milestone,” said Blaine Crosser, vice president dairy sire product line and sales management for Select Sires. “For a bull to sell a million units of semen, he must be long-lived and a superior semen producer. Most importantly, he must transmit performance traits that are high in demand by dairy producers around the globe.”

    Brian Fust has been extremely pleased with the success of BLITZ and the entire cow family. Fust also doesn’t mind the attention they receive because of BLITZ. “It’s very rewarding. It’s so fun talking to people about him; the whole experience has been very positive.”

    CWT News Conference

    Chuck ZimmermanAudio, Dairy Group, Export

    Cooperatives Working TogetherYesterday, Cooperatives Working Together held a call-in news conference with remarks from Jerry Kozak, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Milk Producers Federation and Dr. Scott Brown, Livestock and Dairy Program Director, Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri.

    Dr. Brown was asked to evaluate the CWT program and in this conference he presented his findings. He talks about higher milk prices due to the CWT program. He says that much of the results he talks about in his analysis are due to the herd reduction program and the effects on production. Additonally, the focus on improving exports has had an impact. You can listen to the first part of the news conference here: Listen To MP3 CWT News Conference (8 min MP3)

    Biggest Cheese Maker in England

    Chuck ZimmermanCheese, International

    First MilkBecoming England’s largest cheesemaker sounds like a big deal to me. That’s what this story in the Farmers Weekly talks about.

    First Milk has confirmed it is set to buy the vast majority of Dairy Crest’s supermarket own-label cheese business.

    If the co-op’s 3000 members approve the £62m deal, due to complete on 14 October, First Milk will move overnight from a milk broker into what it claims will be the UK’s largest cheesemaker.

    New York Milk Price Move

    Chuck ZimmermanMilk

    According to a story in the New York Daily News, the price of milk is expected to jump about 25-cents/gallon in the big Apple.

    Increased demand and decreased supply is the main reason New Yorkers will once again be shelling out more moo-lah for milk, with the price approaching $3, experts said.

    “It’s ironic that we have seen gasoline prices retreat well below $3 a gallon, but the price of milk seems to be going in the other direction,” said Henry Beyer, president of Queens-based Beyer Farms/Tuscan Dairy, one of the city’s largest milk distributors.

    Preserving The Champions

    Chuck ZimmermanAgribusiness, Genetics, World Dairy Expo

    Trans Ova GeneticsThere’s lots of World Dairy Expo announcements coming out like this one from Trans Ova Genetics. They’re offering to provide a free genetic preservation of the Grand Champion female in each of the seven breed shows.

    These champions will be named at the various breed-specific shows through-out the week of October 2, during the annual event in Madison, Wisconsin. This unique, progressive option will provide the owners of these champions an opportunity to store the DNA of their elite, show-winning cows, and allow them to propagate these cows’ genetics through the development of clones at any time in the future. “Every cattle breeder can relate to the untimely loss of a special cow or heifer, and the feeling of regret that follows,” explains Chris Sigurdson, sales and marketing director, Trans Ova Genetics. “A genetic preservation is an insurance for breeders and owners of valuable cattle, enabling them to further extend and develop a specific cow family.”