De-Tune Diets to Reduce Daily Losses
UK - To support the SOS DAIRY campaign's phase two, Farmers For Action member Phil Christopher has called on all dairy farmers to de-tune cow diets so that yields fall by two to three litres per cow per day.
3 August 2012
1 minute read
With feed prices where they are, he believes cost savings could go some way towards cancelling out foregone milk income.
Indeed, for farmers already making a loss on every litre they produce, he points out that reducing production is an option with the immediate benefit of reducing those daily losses. And as long as de-tuning is done advisedly, ideally in consultation with a nutritionist with forage making up any potential feed intake shortfall, he also suggests this could be done without detriment to cow health or fertility.
"Empty shelves where milk should be is a spectre that should worry even the most hard-nosed milk buyer and their retailer customers," says Mr Christopher, a self-employed marketing contractor and former farm management adviser.
"Three litres a day less milk from a million cows would be noticed very quickly in the supply chain. Together with the ongoing publicity being created by the industry, supply chain jitters could help strengthen the dairy farming coalition's negotiating position in seeking fairer contract terms and pricing mechanisms, and lasting stability."
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