Dairy world

The passage of the farm bill in February marks the largest shift in U.S. dairy policy in the last 70 years. The legislation represents a radical departure from dairy price supports and reliance on government.

International dairy products prices have declined from their April peak, but still remain at historically high levels. Although milk production continues to increase steadily in many countries, especially in Asia, output in some of the main exporting countries has been constrained.

Rabobank expects an easing of global milk pricing from mid to late Q2 2014, according to its Q1 Dairy Quarterly report.

Ninety six dairy farmers (96) among them 44 females have been trained on “Feeding strategies to improve dairy production in Samastipur District of Bihar”. The one-day training programme was organised by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and partners of Bihar, India.

Analysis of dairy intake and heart attack risk found no statistically significant relation in thousands of Costa Rican adults. Dairy foods might not harm heart health, despite saturated fat content, because they contain other possibly protective nutrients, researchers say.

As part of a development education/awareness programme in Europe, Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (VSF) Europa and its partners recently carried out a study on the importance of Small Scale Livestock Farming in the context of climate variability. Part of a ‘campaign’ to sensitize and mobilize people in favour of small scale livestock farming, the study “shows that small scale livestock farming has a potential to cope with and adapt to climatic variability, especially in some determined regions in the world. Moreover, due to its specific functions, small scale livestock farming can also be considered as an important way to mitigate carbon emissions from livestock sector.”

CLAL, an Italian consultancy firm in the dairy sector has made an interactive map that provides an immediate overview of Milk Production or Deliveries of some of the Key Player Countries.

The passage of the farm bill in February marks the largest shift in U.S. dairy policy in the last 70 years. The legislation represents a radical departure from dairy price supports and reliance on government.

Milk is nature’s wonder beverage. It builds strong bones. It lowers blood pressure. It reduces the risk of diabetes and some cancers. It’s helpful for maintaining a healthy weight. It is both tasty and satisfying. Milk has no equal in providing major health benefits. It’s a powerful package of goodness, containing such important nutrients as calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, high-quality protein and Vitamins A and D.