Milk Price- Please read Mod note in post #1

Water John · 02-05-2016 03:24PM

The main problem, is there any thing under the hair, dyed or grey?

kowtow · 02-05-2016 03:25PM

browned wrote:

If we're so fine tuned as producers why is there such variation across profit monitor results every year. The simple realities is that some farmers are more efficient than others and believe it or not these are probably the farmers that aren't constantly blaming the coops for the low price.

I never blame co-ops for low priced, far too much of an old market whore to do that..

I do blame them for stroking their egos while p1ssing members funds up the wall in pursuit of their own corporate delusions at the very moment when their owners and suppliers are having to cut to the bone.

Is it the farmers journal or the processors monthly? I'd hazard a guess that some of the bigger savings to be made by dairy farmers are inside the door of the processor rather than the farm gate and I wonder whether our fearless journalists ought to pursue that line a little more.

Low hanging fruit and all that.

Farmer Ed · 02-05-2016 03:29PM

Water John wrote: »

The main problem, is there any thing under the hair, dyed or grey?

Not doing much good to the reputation of long suffering blondes either.

whelan2 · 02-05-2016 03:29PM

On cutting costs, for the first winter I didnt use fertility minerals on the autumn calving cows, all came bulling and all went in calf saved about 1k by leaving them out.

pedigree 6 · 02-05-2016 03:55PM

kowtow wrote: »

I never blame co-ops for low priced, far too much of an old market whore to do that..

I do blame them for stroking their egos while p1ssing members funds up the wall in pursuit of their own corporate delusions at the very moment when their owners and suppliers are having to cut to the bone.

Is it the farmers journal or the processors monthly? I'd hazard a guess that some of the bigger savings to be made by dairy farmers are inside the door of the processor rather than the farm gate and I wonder whether our fearless journalists ought to pursue that line a little more.

Low hanging fruit and all that.

Dumb question here.
But someone should always ask.
What is their processor's cost per litre and are there savings to be made.
Can we rank them to see who is the most efficient?

No harm in asking?

keep going · 02-05-2016 04:07PM

Farmer Ed wrote: »

Not doing much good to the reputation of long suffering blondes either.

Do you think there could be more than one board member dying the hair

Water John · 02-05-2016 04:17PM

I'd say Siobhan gets a tint.

Farmer Ed · 02-05-2016 04:28PM

keep going wrote: »

Do you think there could be more than one board member dying the hair

I have no idea. I just use the same stylist as one of them but obviously not as frequently. As soon as I confirm my campaign to be elected to the board. I may need to go to the stylist more often myself. Apparently keeping up appearance is very important in that line of work. was it Enda and Bertie who racked up the makeup bills?

atlantic mist · 02-05-2016 04:39PM

cant even get a full P&L from gii so we never know what they are at, have a source inside that told me they are found of the creative accounting and we wouldnt cop on as we dont have access to full accounts, hate to be a shareholder:)

a few pages ago ye were on bout management teams in carbery vrs our large coops, the one thing that spring to mind is that the investment they make in building in germany is contributing to their milk price and not depleting asset value and our investment was in glanbia plc which is not contributing to milk price as we had to sell a part of it to pay ourselves out of our own pockets, the carbery model does work best for farmers and suppliers, its a diversified portfolio to smooth out difficult periods it was what our coop original intention was before glanbia turned into the bear it is now and management took over, could management replicate the carbery model in our coops of course but its a different management style and way of thinking. Our Ceo was quite proud to say we would be in second place behind carbery for last year based on kpmg milk audit, imagine to be sitting in the largest processor in the country and making excuses why he cant beat a small coop with the scale at his disposal and his head hunted management team, he showed no signs of ambition to achieve this either

Water John · 02-05-2016 04:58PM

Atlantic, if Dg + Four West Cork Coops had retained the wind portfolio that SWS sold. It would now have its loans repaid and be delivering a handsome dividend to help with milk price.
But then management at SWS wanted to cash in their chips, when they should have been told, go whistle dixie.
DG had the controlling share.

Jimlh86 · 02-05-2016 05:01PM

Willfarman wrote: »

Did ye all see the 2 page cost cutting advise in in last weeks journal? "SAVE 15000"
sweet Jesus. Don't fence. 10 euro a cow. Don't spread nitrogen. 10 euro a cow. Don't fix machinery when it inevitably breaks down.. 10 euro a cow. Don't have a third pint of a Saturday night. 3 euro a cow.. And always ride the wife down the hill to save the welly boots... .005 euro a cow

Was it written by a transition year student or wtf

I'm not a dairy farmer but I found the tone of the article really condescending! The journal is gas I find some of the articles look down the nose at farmers!

browned · 02-05-2016 05:17PM

Willfarman wrote: »

inbuilt Irish Catholic guilt mentality there imo.

Land type has a massive bearing as would regional weather variation, family labour, personal health, how the aul place was left to a lad,ie family issues, land fertility

As I said before I cannot for the life of me understand why Irish dairy farmer are not showering the head bottle washers on glanbia with slurry and burning the gets out.
Fat cats and shareholders taking the cream!
But begorra paddy farmer must get more efficient. Don't buy paper towels for the parlour ,or a few stakes and wire ,or put a few times in the hay bob... Count the grains of nitrogen... Ffs

How does a non Catholic develop this inbuilt Irish Catholic guilt mentality, is it contagious or something?

In 2014 There was €400 of a difference in net profit/cow between the top 10% and the average farmer submitting figures. There are plenty farmers on poor landmaking more money than lads with the best land in the country. If you keep finding excuses not to succeed you'll prove yourself right eventually. Sucessfull businesses tend not to hide behind excuses.

But then again it may just be this Catholic guilt mentality

browned · 02-05-2016 05:22PM

Farmer Ed wrote: »

I'm doing very well thank you very much.saving 150 euro not buying the journal and hopefully in the near future I can get on the board of one of the lowest paying co ops. And from there to Ornua and God only knows how many more quangos. Sure I'll never have to worry about money. Sure it's just like being on ex factor or one of those programs. You never know when you might strike it big. Nothing wrong with price of milk. People's own fault if their not all making millions out of it. I know as soon as I get my political career going I will be.

Serious question ed. what is the actual problem with the milk price at the minute. I got 35c/l last month and 37c/l the month before that.

farmerjj · 02-05-2016 05:28PM

browned wrote: »

Serious question ed. what is the actual problem with the milk price at the minute. I got 35c/l last month and 37c/l the month before that.

And what is the co-op average?

jaymla627 · 02-05-2016 05:28PM

browned wrote: »

Serious question ed. what is the actual problem with the milk price at the minute. I got 35c/l last month and 37c/l the month before that.

Take it you supply one of the west cork co-ops and must have a nice bit fixed on top of that....I got just under 25 cent last month and about the same in Feb, how would you go at that wasn't white water either Bf around 4% and pr3.35%

browned · 02-05-2016 05:30PM

kowtow wrote: »

I never blame co-ops for low priced, far too much of an old market whore to do that..

I do blame them for stroking their egos while p1ssing members funds up the wall in pursuit of their own corporate delusions at the very moment when their owners and suppliers are having to cut to the bone.

Is it the farmers journal or the processors monthly? I'd hazard a guess that some of the bigger savings to be made by dairy farmers are inside the door of the processor rather than the farm gate and I wonder whether our fearless journalists ought to pursue that line a little more.

Low hanging fruit and all that.

I remember the journal doing plenty of articles about cost cutting in the coops when we had good milk prices. I can remember them because they went on for a couple of months and I was getting sick of reading them and would have preferred reading about a farmer and learning how he was doing things.

browned · 02-05-2016 05:33PM

farmerjj wrote: »

And what is the co-op average?

27cent. So 8 and 9 cent above the average.

Willfarman · 02-05-2016 05:39PM

browned wrote: »

How does a non Catholic develop this inbuilt Irish Catholic guilt mentality, is it contagious or something?

In 2014 There was €400 of a difference in net profit/cow between the top 10% and the average farmer submitting figures. There are plenty farmers on poor landmaking more money than lads with the best land in the country. If you keep finding excuses not to succeed you'll prove yourself right eventually. Sucessfull businesses tend not to hide behind excuses.

But then again it may just be this Catholic guilt mentality

Ah I agree with you there. There are guysvthT have debt free farms given to them but still go on like its a huge burden, if they won the lotto they'd moan about having to go collect it!

However as another poster noted like myself a non dairy farmer this article was extremely patronising and petty beyond the point of stupidity. The mind the pennies and let the pounds mind themselves analogy..

Farmer Ed · 02-05-2016 05:40PM

browned wrote: »

Serious question ed. what is the actual problem with the milk price at the minute. I got 35c/l last month and 37c/l the month before that.

If you cant see a problem then good for you. But if it keeps dropping at 2 cent per month this time next year what will you be getting? Are you milking Jerseys?
I will still be doing much better than you when I hatch my plan to get on a couple of those boards.

Willfarman · 02-05-2016 05:41PM

browned wrote: »

How does a non Catholic develop this inbuilt Irish Catholic guilt mentality, is it contagious or something?

In 2014 There was €400 of a difference in net profit/cow between the top 10% and the average farmer submitting figures. There are plenty farmers on poor landmaking more money than lads with the best land in the country. If you keep finding excuses not to succeed you'll prove yourself right eventually. Sucessfull businesses tend not to hide behind excuses.

But then again it may just be this Catholic guilt mentality

Ah I agree with you there. There are guysvthT have debt free farms given to them but still go on like its a huge burden, if they won the lotto they'd moan about having to go collect it!

However as another poster noted like myself a non dairy farmer this article was extremely patronising and petty beyond the point of stupidity. The mind the pennies and let the pounds mind themselves analogy..

browned · 02-05-2016 05:41PM

jaymla627 wrote: »

Take it you supply one of the west cork co-ops and must have a nice bit fixed on top of that....I got just under 25 cent last month and about the same in Feb, how would you go at that wasn't white water either Bf around 4% and pr3.35%

West cork coop who According to the journal are not well ahead of the rest of the country in terms of milk price. the difference between Carbery and dg is 2.5c and 2c above glanbia. I think they're 2 cent.
I chose to enter the fixed twice available. the first scheme was only taken up by less than 15% and the scheme by less than 25% I think.

browned · 02-05-2016 05:58PM

Willfarman wrote: »

Ah I agree with you there. There are guysvthT have debt free farms given to them but still go on like its a huge burden, if they won the lotto they'd moan about having to go collect it!

However as another poster noted like myself a non dairy farmer this article was extremely patronising and petty beyond the point of stupidity. The mind the pennies and let the pounds mind themselves analogy..

ah it wasn't tho.
No 2 put off reseeding and fix soil fertility. That is practical advice
No6 milk recording. Remember a thread on here questioning milk recording to a similar effect and most agreeing.
No9 using white drench is twice as expensive as ivermectin. Never knew that before. Just assumed the opposite.
No13 water/fencing. Buy water fittings online cheaper. And it's so true that you go into a coop to buy one thing and end up bringing home 3-4 other things.

The saving of up to €15000 is just a clitbait heading and only applies to a herd of 100 cows but the whole premise of the article was to plan ahead and look at costs on the farm now while there is time to cut them out.

Farmer Ed · 02-05-2016 06:00PM

browned wrote: »

West cork coop who According to the journal are not well ahead of the rest of the country in terms of milk price. the difference between Carbery and dg is 2.5c and 2c above glanbia. I think they're 2 cent.
I chose to enter the fixed twice available. the first scheme was only taken up by less than 15% and the scheme by less than 25% I think.

2.5 cent on a supply of 600000 Litres is 15000 so there is your 15000 made straight away. Our 15150 if you don't buy the Journal as well.

browned · 02-05-2016 06:07PM

Farmer Ed wrote: »

If you cant see a problem then good for you. But if it keeps dropping at 2 cent per month this time next year what will you be getting? Are you milking Jerseys?
I will still be doing much better than you when I hatch my plan to get on a couple of those boards.

If it keeps dropping by 2 cent a month it'll mean I'll have a base price of 0.7c/l and dg suppliers will be paying their coop 1.7c/l. If it comes to that I'll prob sell up and move on.
More power to you on that plan but if milk price drops to -1.7c/l I doubt you'll have any boards to get on

Bass Reeves · 02-05-2016 06:16PM

browned wrote: »

How does a non Catholic develop this inbuilt Irish Catholic guilt mentality, is it contagious or something?

In 2014 There was €400 of a difference in net profit/cow between the top 10% and the average farmer submitting figures. There are plenty farmers on poor landmaking more money than lads with the best land in the country. If you keep finding excuses not to succeed you'll prove yourself right eventually. Sucessfull businesses tend not to hide behind excuses.

But then again it may just be this Catholic guilt mentality

I always think it is great the way Teagasc and the journal quote the top 10%. These may be at a different development stage or on different land. Yes one can cut costs but this can only go so far. The lowest cost producers in the world NZ are going broke. The reality is that we are hitting the point where it will cost some farmers to produce milk.

The FJ article as one poster said was condescending. Cut back fertlizer use and silage quanity made save 20-30 euro/head and if we get a very dry summer, a one that will not grow as much grass as last year or we get a long winter next year again that couple euro will quickly go out the door in a meal bill.

I bet you they have a top 10% in NZ as well and a middle section of dairy farmers that made money. In any business you have a top 10%. American company's operate a bonus scheme, there target is that 60-80% of workers will make the bonus, 10-20% will exceed the bonus targets and get a higher bonus. The final 10-20% will not make the grade and generally if these are the same people year after year the company squeezes them out.

If we transfer this to dairying the top 10-20% are those that make that extra profit, the middle 60-80% should make a profit and the bottom 10-20% will be the lads that if they fail to change there systems will go broke.

However at present the middle 60-80% are suffering as well. If milk slumps much lower they will be producing at a loss. Processors are not often efficient enough and high wages that they earn are not reflected in there ability to manage the business.

What is happening in milk is also happening in grain. And next year beef will be the same

Farmer Ed · 02-05-2016 06:21PM

browned wrote: »

If it keeps dropping by 2 cent a month it'll mean I'll have a base price of 0.7c/l and dg suppliers will be paying their coop 1.7c/l. If it comes to that I'll prob sell up and move on.
More power to you on that plan but if milk price drops to -1.7c/l I doubt you'll have any boards to get on

Ah now you're being negative. You shouldn't trample on my dreams just like that.
As one prominent board member who was co opted on to yet another board recently is reported to have said. "Be positive, be positive.be positive" Obviously the man has the whole situation under control.

keep going · 02-05-2016 06:31PM

Is there a co relation between the number of board members who dye their hair and milk price

Brown Podzol · 02-05-2016 06:43PM

I seem to remember Pat Bolger who used to write in the IFJ years ago who wrote " there is only so much money can be saved by straightening bent nails and chasing crows over long distances to retrieve small potatoes".

Willfarman · 02-05-2016 07:10PM

Brown Podzol wrote: »

I seem to remember Pat Bolger who used to write in the IFJ years ago who wrote " there is only so much money can be saved by straightening bent nails and chasing crows over long distances to retrieve small potatoes".

Brilliant!!!!

Farmer Ed · 02-05-2016 07:13PM

keep going wrote: »

Is there a co relation between the number of board members who dye their hair and milk price

You are dead right. Feel free to open another thread on suitable fashion tips for board members. I've noticed lately an increasing number of people dying their hair blue.

Milk Price- Please read Mod note in post #1

Comments