The Dairy Mail - Volume 17, Issue 1, January 2010

Roll of Honour

Die nuus dat invoerpermit-aansoeke vir suiwelprodukte vir volgende jaar reeds op 'n baie hoë vlak is, is nie goeie nuus vir melkprodusente nie. Dit impliseer 'n verwagting dat melkvoorsiening nie aan die vraag mag voldoen nie. Dit is egter nie noodwendig net slegte nuus nie.

At the time of going to press with the January edition of The Dairy Mail, the editorial team was celebrating the magazine's success at the 2009 Mpasa Pica Awards. The Dairy Mail received its sixth Pica award for business-to-business magazines in the category resource-based industries.

Suid-Afrika uit resessie

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Landbougroei krimp

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Grondhervorming draai vas

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Clover may cut ties with industry

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Livestock farming is green

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EU farmgate prices on the rise

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UK dairy carbon cutting plan

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French to legislate on contracts

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Argentinean milk production to grow

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Spanish farmers protest

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EU court wary of dairy liberalisation

Melkproduksie gedurende die eerste nege maande van 2009, was 4,2% minder as gedurende die eerste nege maande van 2008. Gedurende September 2009 is 231 miljoen liter melk geproduseer - 4,2% minder as in September 2008. Suiwelinvoere gedurende die eerste agt maande van 2009 het 28 500 ton beloop. Dit is 33% minder as gedurende die ooreenstemmende tydperk in 2008.

As ons aanvaar dat 70% van die uitgawes op 'n melkplaas met voer te doen het, dan maak dit sin dat die boer maatreëls in plek sal stel om seker te maak dat hierdie voerinsette so doeltreffend moontlik is, en die uitwerking daarvan in terme van melkproduksie en koeigesondheid, so groot as moontlik is.

Proper sampling of roughage is probably the single most important aspect of quality testing, and quality roughage can have a significant impact on cows' performance. Dan Putnam and Steve Orloff from the University of California's cooperative extension service, explain that the fundamental principle of getting a roughage sample, is to get a representative and randomly chosen sample. Each core should represent that bale and enough cores should be taken to represent a specific load or stack.

Lusernhooigehalte word deur verskeie faktore soos lokaliteit, klimaat, grond, bemesting, water, snystadium, kultivarverskille, voginhoud, blaarverlies, opberging, vervoer, siektes, insekte en onkruid beïnvloed.

In 2010 the event will be known as the All Africa Dairy School & Expo (DSE). It will run from 12-16 April, and includes an all-new, exciting teaching and training section.

Twee Pica's vir The Dairy Mail

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Argentyne besoek MPO

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MPO vergader met Kanadese

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LHC planning committee meets

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CenDel bespreek mentorskappe

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New mandate for Agri Inspec

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MPO EC management meeting

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Product standards revisited

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Winsgewendheidskonferensie

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Adulterated milk investigated

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Mededingendheid bekyk

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Melamienregulasies hersien

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MPO Kalender

Milk Producers' Organisation contact details

Die pas gepubliseerde IFCN Dairy Report 2009, toon dat Suid-Afrikaanse melkprodusente internasionaal mededingend is. Die Suid-Afrikaanse suiwelbedryf is sedert 2008 'n volle lid van die International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN). Die IFCN is 'n vereniging van suiwelekonome wat jaarliks die inkomste en koste van melkproduksie in verskeie lande vergelyk. Die missie van die IFCN is om 'n beter begrip van melkproduksie internasionaal te verkry.

Die Melkprodusente-organisasie (MPO) se Instituut vir Suiweltegnologie (IST) tesame met sy vennote, voorsien landwyd die nuutste inligting en tegnologie aangaande melkbeesboerdery aan kommersiële melkprodusente. By die suiwelinligtingsdae word tersaaklike en nuwe inligting aangaande melkgehalte, dieregesondheid, melkaantekeninge, voeding, weiding en melkwinning voorsien. Werkers van kommersiële melkprodusente word opgelei in melkhigiëne, melkwinning, hittewaarneming en dieregesondheid.

Today most farms operate to some extent with the help of machines. In the dairy industry various levels of mechanisation are seen on farms and while some farms are run by a skeleton crew and smart machines, other farms are doing just fine with the basic hardware on hand.

Kanolakuilvoer, indien voldoende bemes en korrek ingekuil, gee meer melk en beter vaste stowwe as hawer en ander kleingrane. Die rede is dat meer van die vesel verteerbaar is as in die geval van hawer.

The choice of planting perennial or annual ryegrasses, has been debated in a previous article. Should one still wish to plant a perennial ryegrass in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, it would be advisable to choose the variety carefully, taking into account both seasonal and total yield as well as rust resistance. Table 1 gives the total annual yields of nine commercially available varieties at ARC Cedara over three years in the national trials.

Keeping teat and udder skin healthy is an important part of mastitis prevention. In the previous edition we looked at the ways in which teat skin can be damaged and we discussed viral infections of the skin. In this edition we look at other skin conditions and causes of infection.

When planning new dairy facilities or even extending existing facilities, a lot of time is spent selecting and sizing the milking parlour, cow housing and related facilities. Often not enough effort is put into designing facilities that meet the special needs of lactating, pregnant or sick cows.

Brucellosis is a contagious disease caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus. This disease is characterised by abortion in pregnant females and infection of the accessory glands in males. Brucellosis was once considered to be the most important reproductive disorder in cattle and has added importance as a zoonotic disease causing undulant fever in humans.

Cows have traditionally been milked twice daily, but milking three times a day is becoming the norm in America, while there is renewed interest in once-a-day milking in New Zealand. Robotic milking is used on over 1 000 commercial dairy farms in the Northern Hemisphere. Theoretically cows can present themselves for milking many times in a 24-hour period. The question: "What is the appropriate milking frequency for the dairy cow?" is raised by all of these different practices.