School milk programmes are beneficial both to individuals and to the society as a whole in areas such as improved health through better nutrition, increased school attendance and improved academic results. The milk consumption increases and the development of national dairy industries is supported.

Every last Wednesday in September, over 30 countries celebrate World School Milk Day, demonstrating that the interest in school milk is universal.

The goal of World School Milk Day is to provide a particular day when attention is focused on this issue and thereby promote such programmes. Importance is lent to the event by the fact that other countries are doing the same thing, on the same day, and that FAO is supporting the activity.

Read more about World School Milk Day celebrations around the world>>

Feed efficiency reflects the level of fat-corrected milk yield produced per unit of dry matter consumed. Several factors impact feed efficiency values, and dairy managers should monitor changes in feed efficiency as feeding and management changes occur to evaluate the impact of the change. This article by Michael Hutjens presents several approaches that can be used to measure or estimate FE in groups, herds, and with feeding/management changes.
Feed efficiency opportunities with 2008 feed cost>> 

Although generally easy to treat, neonatal calf diarrhea is still a major cause of death and economic loss in the dairy industry. Oral rehydration solutions, or electrolytes, replenish fluids and electrolytes lost during episodes of diarrhea. Farms should have a standard operating procedure for treatment of scouring calves that includes when to use oral rehydration solutions, how much to give and other care issues. Read more in this article by Jud Heinrichs and Sylvia I. Kehoe: Scouring calves: Oral rehydration solutions, or electrolytes>>

On the milkproduction.com web site you will also find a recently added article by on what's new on infectious lameness control programs by Chuck Guard, as well as an article on Cystic ovarian disease by D.A. Coleman.

The dairy sector will take the bull by the horns by minimizing its contribution to climate change. This was the conclusion of the First IDF Dairy Farming Summit in Scotland (June 25-27, 2008). There was global awareness of the fact that dairy farming has a problem with greenhouse gases. And there was a common willingness to work on solutions, which will have to differ per region. These solutions should make dairy farming a sustainable sector with reduced carbon footprint in the future.

Read more about the conference>>