Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009184#Comment_122009184

I'm planning to start milking cows next year and I've no intention of moving away from a grass/normal system. But would the processor or supermarket really care if milk came from cows that were housed all year round?

To put it another way, do they pay more for milk from cows that aren't housed all year round?

What I'm getting at is if grass-based really mattered, then we'd have to do more than fill out Bord Bia forms and we'd be getting better paid.

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009310#Comment_122009310

Or trying to find it after

Jack98

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009341#Comment_122009341

I highly doubt that many co ops would take issue with cows being housed all year, a fella that has a lot of land rented within 10km of us has about 100 acres around the parlour milking 400 cows zero grazer in use everyday of the milking season and he has no problem getting his milk collected. There could be a lot more moving towards indoor systems with what’s down the line so if the processors want milk they can’t afford to turn these type of systems away.
Look at the hit milk supply has had this year already granted down to weather conditions but I think it’s fair to say we’ve reached peak milk supplies in this country and are on a downward trajectory now.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009388#Comment_122009388

Kerry don't let milk from fully housed cows through their processing facilities. They have a few lads like that but I think the milk is collected seperately and sent to Rathmore.

alps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009341#Comment_122009341

Your prospective processor sets the rules for you. They care because they have to sell it.

Although I do think this 96% grass fed is a stretch of the imagination.

I know it's a bit off yet but have you decided on a processor? Would be interested in the deciding factors from someone entering the business with no hold on them from a processor re contract of ICOS agreements.

awaywithyou

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009409#Comment_122009409

i have heard that before… whats the story with milk price.. do those farmers get paid the same… ?

atlantic mist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009426#Comment_122009426

were paid one of the lowest prices internationally…..there is no marketing just buzz words thrown out…..our coops cant currently achieve a premium on our "grass based system" in the European market where over 70% operate a indoor housed system….why are we still not targeting the eu market?…..fonterra are….i can buy fonterra yougurt in local shop and cant find any of our coops branded yougurt

the notion that you can pay the irish farmers less because grass is cheaper is the only marketing ive ever seen from our coops, our grass based price is actually bring the eu avg milk price down which affects eu coops which use this as the metric for setting their monthly milk price (thats why we dont get much eu farmer support on dero)

with the reduction/loss of derogation it will bring us in line with eu, will force our processors to seek higher payments for our products as we will become less profitable….could do with moving to friesland method of calculating monthly milk price where we are paid the avg of similar eu dairies and its up to management to go out and achieve that through sales….management have too easy a ride in our coops currently….we need value for money for those wages

mahoney_j

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009951#Comment_122009951

belter of a post and so true

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009951#Comment_122009951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009966#Comment_122009966

Absolutely agree 👍 it's 💯 the issue glanbia is gone so big it's just ridiculous the stuff that the pen pushers are getting away with

alps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009951#Comment_122009951

We got the highest price in Europe last year.

Our industry has taken the specific decision to produce milk on farm by means of a seasonal system. That was preferred by farmers and mirrored by the production facilities put in place by processors.

The market for seasonal production is always going to be commodity focused.

We used to produce yogurt. I remember Sno being produced by CMP in Cork, and Yoplait produced by glanbia in Inch...but why have these products disappeared? Relying on multiples, production system not reflecting our effeciencies...no money out of it.

Even though we now rely on commodities, most of it is marketed and sold in Europe. The system reflects an alignment between producer and processor and state marketing than any other system in Europe. Dairy farmers in Ireland are far more profitable than their counterparts in Europe.

Say my name

I see Olly Blogs. Well I saw the intro to it. For a Polish dairy farm. 60 cent a litre was the price they were getting from the processor.

We've the greatest BS being thrown at us about how profitable we are.

I don't see it. Maybe it is if you've inherited 200 acres of land in the one block.

The head of Tirlan was praising that the average of half of their suppliers had 60 cow herds. Yet this year and last there's been the greatest exodus of these since quotas went. On their own part ever stricter targets and penalties are ensuring this. Cell count went from 400 k to 300 k. No chlorine detergents allowed. No iodine teat spray allowed. Only bord bia farms allowed to supply. Same for all Ireland but the milk price never went up to accommodate this.

We had a figure of stupid money earned thrown at us by teagasc. But that does not include buying machinery, repairs, building sheds, putting down concrete, paying wages, leasing land, buying land, buying stock, insurance. They may as well have just used the gross income figure.

And what's it for?

It certainly doesn't reflect the reality on the 60 cow farms that Tirlan use for marketing purposes.

Maybe it's to justify the "advisors" expenses and have somewhere to go and something to do. Or maybe it's for those not in dairy farming to use as a stick against every dairy farmer going from the 50 to the 500 cow herd? But it'd be the 50 cow would feel all the pain.

Oh we're brilliant alright. Brilliant at lining everyone else's pockets.

When in the name of God will common sense come back to represent the run of the mill dairy farmer and not be at this I'm a millionaire. We are the cheapest in the world with the best price in the world. Both are not true.

kevthegaff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122010430#Comment_122010430

Poland have a 40 million population and Germany next door. Majority feed indoor on Maize. Sewn a few farms over there, huge tracts of land for tillage, 5 yrs ago no.problem with Labour also

atlantic mist

if you look the stats on milk price over a period of 20 years we are one of the lowest internationally, just ahead of fonterra, grass based systems seem the least reward system from a price point of view

we keep referring to ourselves as commodity focused but this just means we have not developed long term customer relationships or brands and are reliant on what ever were lucky enough to get for the market (tirlan and kerry on gdt platform for selling)….were not superstars on the global stage, were tiny players and we could have been a lot more value added focused, if not partner up with companies that have the selling and marketing expertise…..the new tirlan dutch cheese plant is a good example….the dutch company have a market for its produce before its made at eu prices….lets just hope it gets passed on to suppliers

i think over 50% of tirlan product goes outside eu…us, africa, asia, uk

glenisk are flying with yougurt, supermarket own brands seem to be doing fine, glenisk were creative…..tirlan and dairygold didnt seem to go too well in that area what was their excuse, they had 2 good brands?, isey skyr is the fonterra product on the shelves in local shop….diversifying away from the commodity mindset while targeting eu market….whats the latest/last brand from any of our coops?

well be lucky to be profitable once the eu and irish civil service are done with us

daiymann 5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009951#Comment_122009951

Couldnt agree more in nz calves are slaughtered but paddy irish has to rear

JustJoe7240

Is there a premium for organic milk? And how is it verified? "Organic" supplier local to me out spreading urea today, and is buying any silage on the stem he can get his hands on.

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122010675#Comment_122010675

There's a lot being banked on Kerrygold.

A few days ago an Irish employee of Kerrygold in the US for the last 15 years was on the Joe Duffy show trying to get an Irish name for her unborn baby girl.

The grass based shows up in the colour and taste. But it ain't being passed back to the farmer.

Glenisk the suppliers ain't too happy with their flat price received.

K.G.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008884#Comment_122008884

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008935#Comment_122008935

Ah dawg, the dogs in the street know that tillage fed animal production is the worst for the environment of all food production systems. The rules are there to stop people going over intensively indoors.proper order too

Kerry2021

If derogation was gotten rid of next year in a totally hypothetical scenario what do ye think would be the knock on effects for dairy farming, would it really force that many guys out? We’ve bad land here, being honest if it was gotten rid of and if we were forced to cut down we would probably be doing ourselves a favour more than anything

Jack98

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122011329#Comment_122011329

I think you said before on here ye had fairly big numbers, it would be the 50-100 cow herds worst affected cutting your stock numbers by a third effectively would be the difference between making milking full time viable or not. Then you have the people who invested heavily in the last 5-10 years when their stocking rate would be cut by a third you’d imagine they’d be heading for the wall.

Anyone operating under a hundred own acres would have serious questions to ask if derogation goes and it’s sad really because these are some of the best farmers around and it makes it unviable for future generations also then as a knock on.

weatherbyfoxer

Not wanting to be dependant on derogation was one of the reasons I pulled plug on the dairy conversion here. Realistically you would want to be able to run a minimal 80+ cows and followers on owned ground to seriously look at getting into milk nowadays.

Anyone I talk to under 70 cows now around me have plans to get out in the near future because of age or derogation..which ever comes first

Kerry2021

I think it’s very unfair to people with smaller blocks of land. It will get to the point that if someone even owns 100 acres of great land and if derogation is gone then they may not be able to carry enough cows to make the farm viable full time. It will be even worse than the quota situation ever was. Renting land at €300/acre with the way milk prices are is a desperate penalty to guys who need the map acres

Sheep breeder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009012#Comment_122009012

Just on one point has anyone ever on her taking part in a red C poll, have never come across any friend or extended family that has taken part, it seems to be always a Dublin thing and I think in the local elections and the next general elections there is going to be some shock in the farming and rural Ireland areas,

Castlekeeper

...

Castlekeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122010735#Comment_122010735

Must try harder...

Jack98

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122011856#Comment_122011856

And what is this shock you think could come to pass?

Castlekeeper

...

Castlekeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122011096#Comment_122011096

Unless it's a chicken nugget or a pork sausage, they're never going to rock those boats, but methane...

visatorro

Spring cows

29 kg

3.96pr

3.42ft

Nearly 9 kg 18%. 5 left to calf.

Autumn cows 157 DIM

24 kg

4.57ft

3.49pr

7.5 kg nut.

2 cows got ecoli before Christmas included in that autumn group doing nothing so they take off a bit.

Into second round. Graze outs are very poor. Between feeding silage and meal they don't have the appetite. I don't lock them into the paddocks which probably doesn't help.

alps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122011329#Comment_122011329

Exodus of >100 cow operators and processor closures. Push for milk in cows, higher numbers, more facilities and not long before those left in the game owe 10k per cow.

kevthegaff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122012520#Comment_122012520

Is it possible the Co Ops could have their own farms like the factory's have feedlots. In the future..