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GA Milk Weekly Enews March 1,
2019
Y
our weekly update for the Georgia Dairy Industry
Brought to you by the Georgia Milk Producers, Inc.
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| GDYF Dress-A-Cow Contest: 2019 GA State Livestock Show, Perry |
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Bobby Walker Will Be Missed by Many Across the Southeast
Please join us in prayers for the family and friends of Bobby Walker, Madison, GA, who passed away earlier this week. Bobby has had a huge influence on the Southeast dairy industry. His career began milking his own cows, and in later years served as a fieldman for Maryland Virginia Milk Producers and Southeast Milk, Inc. He was an active participant in industry meetings, and most of all - a kind and encouraging person who lifted the spirits of anyone he met.
The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be directed to of these three options:
Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation
c/o GA Milk Producers
1641 New High Shoals Road, STE 5
Watkinsville, GA 30677 -OR -
Pennington United Methodist Church
1160 Broughton Road
Madison, GA 30650 - OR
The local charity of your choice. We will miss you Mr. Bobby!!
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GDMS Session to Cover Dairy Revenue Protection Program and Farm Bill Update
with
Eric Swanson, AFBIS and T
ripp Cofield,
GA Farm Bureau
You are invited to attend the following educational session in Macon:
New Tools to Manage Risk for Dairy
Tuesday, March 12
10 a.m.
Georgia Farm Bureau Headquarters
1620 Bass Road
Macon, GA 31209
This session will provide an overview of Dairy Revenue Protection program, how the program works, including the various options to tailor the program to producers' individual needs by locking in either class or component prices, as well as what a producer can expect to pay for - and get back - in the form of indemnity payments using Dairy RP. A review of the revamped Margin Protection Program, now called the Dairy Margin Coverage Program will be covered as well. This meeting is open to dairymen, managers, insurance providers and industry - free of charge and will be held from 10 a.m. until noon.
Please preregister for meal by calling our office at 706-310-0020.
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MDC Coordinator Honored by Oconee County Chamber of Commerce with Agribusiness Award
Congratulations to Nicole Duvall, Georgia Mobile Dairy Classroom Coordinator! She received the 2019 Larry Risse Agribusiness Award recently from the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce. Duvall has served Georgia's dairy industry for ten years, traveling thousands and thousands of miles to tell the dairy story to students, parents, teachers and fair/event attendees. This award is well deserved! Thank you Nicole for all that you do for Georgia's dairy farm families!!
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Referendum for the GA Agricultural Commodity Commission for Milk Begins Today
Georgia dairy farmers will have the opportunity to vote starting Friday, March 1, to extend the Georgia Milk Marketing Order for an additional three years. The current order was approved by producer vote in 2016, and will expire June 30, 2019.
Federal law requires U.S. dairy producers to pay $0.15 cents per hundredweight into the national Dairy Checkoff Program to drive increased sales as well as demand for dairy products and ingredients. With the current marketing order, $0.10 cents of the $0.15 cents per hundredweight producers invest remains at the state level. If the order is revoked, all of the $0.15 cents per hundredweight producers invest will be sent directly to the national Dairy Checkoff Program.
The Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission for Milk (ACCM) was created in 1969, and is recognized as a qualified program under the rules of the Federal Milk Marketing Order. The order allows the money collected to be used by the Georgia Milk Commission. The money is used in state to promote milk consumption in addition to education about the benefits of dairy products and where milk originates. One of the more visible educational projects is the Mobile Dairy Classroom. This interactive exhibit travels throughout the state visiting many schools and events to demonstrate how cows are cared for and milked. In 2018, more than 100,000 people watched demonstrations by the mobile dairy classroom.
The ballot period for the market order is March 1st-30th. The back of ballots must be signed and they must be mailed no later than midnight on March 30th to be eligible. If a dairy producer is in need of a ballot please contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture at: 404-586-1405.
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GA Milk Urges Producers to Vote YES for GA ACC for Milk Referendum
Every three years, the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Milk (ACCM) must hold a producer referendum as required by the Commodities Promotion Act. Recently, the Georgia Department of Agriculture sent out ballots to reaffirm the 15-cent check-off for another three years. If ACCM is not reaffirmed by Georgia dairymen, the 15 cents will still be taken out of your milk check and sent directly to national dairy promotion check-off.
ACCM engages in numerous projects promoting milk and educating the consumer on the importance and nutritional value of dairy products in their diet. Currently ACCM funds The Dairy Alliance, a statewide retail milk marketing campaign in all Georgia Kroger stores (launches March 1) and soon a retail milk promotion program with a major convenience store chain in Atlanta. In addition, ACCM funds the Mobile Dairy Classroom, the Georgia Farm Bureau "Farm Monitor", the Milk On My Mind Campaign, the Georgia National Fair Dairy Exhibit and product promotion (milk) during key state events.
By having ACCM, Georgia dairy producers are able to keep 10 cents of the 15-cent check-off at the state level.
Please remember, if the ACCM Referendum DOES NOT pass:
- The 15 cents/cwt. will still be collected and sent to the national check-off
- All money collected will go to the National Program (currently 10 cents stays at the state level and 5 cents goes to the national level).
- There will be no state control of a dairy promotion program.
- Funding for ACCM projects, including the Mobile Dairy Classroom, will be eliminated.
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GA Food Animal Conference Will Officer Producer Session Friday, March 29
Friday's general session at the Georgia Food Animal Conference will feature nationally-renowned speakers including Dr. Morgan McArthur and Dr. Francis L. Fluharty. The sessions will focus on greater stress management, finding the value of the VCPR, lost opportunities in cattle production, and veterinary stewardship.
For registration and additional information, click here.
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Dean Foods reported a bigger-than-expected loss on higher costs reflecting expenses from the closing seven plants last year that required shifting milk manufacturing to other facilities.
The company also said it has refinanced its credit facility and suspended its quarterly dividend to enhance its financial flexibility.
Dean Foods swung to a fourth-quarter loss of $260.1 million, or $2.85 a share, compared with a profit of $52.3 million, or 57 cents a share, a year ago.
Sales fell 0.3 percent to $1.93 billion. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv forecast sales of $1.91billion.
Dallas-based Dean Foods Co. is considering strategic alternatives that could include selling some of its brands, forming joint ventures, going private with a buyer, or an outright sale of the company.
Being one of America's largest dairy companies sounds like a stable spot, but today's consumers are less brand conscious in the grocery aisles and retailers are promoting their own labels.
The Dallas-based company, with annual sales of about $7.7 billion, owns or licenses more than 50 national, regional and local dairy brands and private labels. It posted losses and declining sales in the last three quarters. It reports its year-end results on Wednesday.
Dean Foods' stock closed Tuesday at $4.55 a share, down 5 cents.
Read more
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The dairy industry is in transition as domestic consumption is shifting. Where is domestic dairy consumption going? Per capita consumption of fluid milk is declining and has been since 1975. Chart I shows the year-to-year percent change in per capita consumption. Since 1976, there has been only one positive year when per capita consumption increased year-over-year.
For years, the population growth kept the total domestic consumption of fluid milk nearly even. Individuals were drinking less milk, but more people were drinking milk, keeping overall domestic consumption steady. Recently, the per capita consumption of fluid milk stated falling much faster. Additionally, the population growth has slowed to just .6% in 2018 Read more
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From Tri-State Livestock News
To ensure America's dietary guidance reflects the latest science, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar today announced the appointment of 20 nationally recognized scientists to serve on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The independent advisory committee will review scientific evidence on topics and questions identified by the departments and will provide a report on their findings to the secretaries. Their review, along with public and agency comments, will help inform USDA and HHS' development of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs).
"USDA is committed to ensuring everything we do is data-driven and based in scientific facts, which is why this expert committee's work in objectively evaluating the science is of the utmost importance to the departments and to this process," said Secretary Perdue. "The committee will evaluate existing research and develop a report objectively, with an open mind."
Read more
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The Senate on Thursday confirmed Andrew R. Wheeler to be the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, giving oversight of the nation's air and water to a former coal lobbyist and seasoned Washington insider.
The vote, 52-47, went mostly along party lines and underscored partisan divisions over the Trump administration's continued commitment to repealing environmental regulations under Mr. Wheeler.
Read more
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Producers in the Midwestern, Western, and Northern states are no strangers to the benefits of alfalfa. They know alfalfa is an excellent source of protein and digestible energy for livestock. Yet, producers in the Southeast are skeptical about alfalfa's ability to successfully grow in their hot and humid environment.
Over the last 20 years, though, several alfalfa varieties have been released that are much more suited to the region. These varieties have been bred for greater pest and disease resistance, heat tolerance, the dual use of hay/silage and grazing, and semi- or non-dormancy, allowing for a longer growing season. Depending on location, producers in the South can expect from five to 10 cuttings within a single growing season, thus making the "Queen of Forages" much more practical. Read more
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Why lab-created milk is a threat to dairy farmers
Alternatives to dairy-based milk are popping up everywhere these days, which is clearly not good news for dairy farmers. They've been suffering from declining sales since 2014, plus
an oversupply of milk continues to drive down prices. Recent export tariffs have created additional grief, resulting in
more dairy farms closing down each year.
The
popularity of plant-based alternatives is also causing trouble for the dairy industry, as beverages made from soy, rice, almonds, oats and nuts appeal to consumers wanting more flavor and less cholesterol and fat in their diets.
According to Mintel, U.S. non-dairy milk sales jumped 61% during the past five years, while dairy milk sales fell 15% from 2012 to 2017.
The situation would be grim without the debut of synthetic milk alternatives, so once Perfect Day's ingredients and others start showing up in the marketplace, it could mean an even more serious and lasting blow to dairy milk sales.
Read more
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GA Dairy Classifieds
Calves wanted:
Competitive pricing with a 6 day a week pick up. Will buy bulls and heifers of all ages. Peter's Cattle Co. 470-255-8515
Young Stock Supervisor wanted -
Hart Agriculture Waynesboro GA
Grazing 500-1000 animals,
Must be familiar with rotational grazing and breeding.
Dairy Manager wanted -
Hart Agriculture Waynesboro GA
300-700 milking cows,
60 bale rotary, New Zealand style grazing system.
18 Bred Registered Holstein Heifers. Big heifers 6 Due in November, 5 Due in December, 3 Due in March
50 years in the Dairy business, Top herd in South Carolina. RHA 25,000, Closed Herd, All AI Sired, all AI Bred, and Vaccinated. Contact: Debbie Glenn at 864-376-8582.
Bull Calves WANTED: Competitive pricing with 6 day a week pickup. Brandon Mason Cattle Company 912-632-4490
For HIRE: Southeast DHIA
has a position to fill in the
West Central Georgia area for a
FIELD SERVICE TECHNICIAN.
Responsibilities include data
collection on area dairy farms
during milking time. S
chedule is somewhat flexible
but the hours are non-typical. S
ome travel and out-of-town
work likely.
Applicants should be comfortable
with computers and software and
have good communication and
organizational skills as well as
reliable transportation. Pickup Truck required. I
f interested send a resume to
For Sale: Custom manure application and Dryhill manure equipment sales.
Contact Edwin @ 478-299-0717 with
Agboys Custom Services LLC -
New 8"x52' lagoon pump with outriggers $24,000 (Pictured right)
For Sale 3000 gallon Surge/Westfalia milk tank and wash system. Three phase condensers. 2002 model. Excellent condition. John B Gay, 478-494-5107
WANTED: DeLaval
Westfalia
Neck Transponders: TN Dairy seeking used Westfalia neck band transponders.
Please contact Bill or Peggy Howell if interested at 423-972-9254 or 423-371-3032.
WANTED: Looking for used pasteurizing and bottling equipment in working condition; Linda and Darrell Rankins, Jr.; 334-745-2357 (best times: mid-day and after 8 p.m.)
For Sale:
Jersey cows, heifers and calves for sale. Registered with AJCA, all ages! Contact Matt Holton at 770-718-8271, call or text. Dawsonville, GA.
FOR HIRE: Custom Silage Harvesting. Late model JD chopper. Will travel. Let me put your quality forage up! Nic Haynes, Muddy H Farms, 678-617-3379.
FOR SALE:
We have a continuous selection of fresh and springing heifers.
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Upcoming Events:
March 12 - GA Dairy Managers Series:
New Tools to Manage Risk for Dairy
March 15 - GA Milk Board of Directors Meeting, Macon (Open to all dairymen)
March 20-21, Certified Waste Operator Training, Athens
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