A trip to the corner farm supply store still works for some, but more farmers are basing their seed, fertilizer and pesticide product purchases on factors other than convenience, a Purdue University study reveals.

The study found that farmers place greater importance on price, product performance and customer service than on ease of purchase when making agricultural input buying decisions. The study identified five distinct ag input market segments, or buyer types. Previous market research identified only three.

Source: Ag Answers/ Purdue University and Ohio State University, Jan. 17, 2006
Source URL: http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agcomm/aganswers/story.asp?storyID=4127

A New York dairy cooperative has purchased an Ohio company’s evaporated milk division.

O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative Inc., headquartered in Batavia, N.Y., bought the division from Defiance, Ohio,-based Diehl Inc. Financial details were not disclosed.

O-AT-KA makes butter, dried milk items and infant formula, among other items, for the food service, industrial, and retail sectors. Diehl makes and distributes dried dairy products such as powdered coffee creamers and powdered shortening to the food service industry.

Source: Rochester Business Journal/ Kathryn Quinn Thomas, Jan. 16, 2006
Source URL: http://www.rbj.net/fullarticle.cfm?sdid=58656

The University of New Hampshire will establish an organic dairy farm for research, education, and outreach, making it the nation’s first land-grant university to have an organic dairy farm.
 
Londonderry, N.H. industry leader Stonyfield Farm has made a $200,000 leadership gift to the project, which carries an estimated price tag of $1.5 million.

Source: University of New Hampshire/ News Release, Dec. 5, 2005
Source URL: http://www.unh.edu/news/news_releases/2005/december/bp_051205organic.html

Domestic changes this month are based on the National Agricultural Statistics Service's (NASS) annual crop production report and the NASS stocks report. Total 2005/06 feed grain production was increased due to larger corn and sorghum crops. Total feed grain utilization increased from 291.0 million tons to 292.4 million tons because of changes to feed and residual use and a decline in corn exports. U.S. corn exports are down 50 million bushels to 1.85 billion because of sluggish sales and a reduction in projected 2005/06 world corn trade. Feed grain stocks increased slightly, but forecast season average prices are up slightly.

In 2006, milk production is forecast to increase 4.7 billion pounds from 2005’s 176.6 billion, keeping feed needs strong.

Source: USDA/ ERS/ Allen Baker and Edward Allen, Jan. 17, 2006
Source URL: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/erssor/field/fds-bb/2006/fds06a.pdf

The 2005 US corn crop is now estimated at 11.112 billion bushels, 80 million larger than the November forecast. At 147.9 bushels, the US average yield estimate is 0.5 bushels below the November forecast, but the estimate of harvested acreage is 774,000 above the November forecast. Stocks of corn on December 1, 2005 were estimated at 9.813 billion bushels, 361 million larger than stocks of a year earlier. December 1 stocks were second in size to the 10.3 billion of 1986. Consumption of corn during the first quarter of the 2005-06 marketing year was a record 3.417 billion bushels, 105 million more than consumption of a year ago. Exports during the quarter were off 15 million from the previous year, but domestic processing use of corn was up about 65 million and feed and residual use was up by 55 million bushels.

Source: Farmdoc/ University of Illinois/ Darrel Good, Jan. 17, 2006
Source URL: http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/marketing/weekly/html/011706.html

The aims of this study were to determine how measures of feeding, drinking, and standing behavior change over the period around calving, to derive objective meal and drinking bout criteria for transition cows, and to describe the within-cow consistency of these behavioral measures.

In summary, changes in feeding behavior may help account for the well-documented changes in feed intake during transition. Documented changes in standing behavior suggest that cow comfort may be particularly important during the time around calving.

Source: Changes in feeding, drinking, and standing behavior of dairy cows during the transition period. Journal of Dairy Science 88 (7): 2454-2461, 2005. Huzzey, J.M.; vonKeyserlingk, M.A.G.; Weary, D.M.

I think that by now all of you have heard or read about compost dairy barns. Many more were built this past year in Minnesota. There are still questions about these barns. Therefore, we at the University of Minnesota decided that the first step to learning more about how compost barns were functioning was by interviewing producers using the system. During this process we also collected bedding and milk samples, observed and evaluated cow behavior, summarized cow records, and scored cows for locomotion, body condition, hygiene and hock lesions. Our goal was to collect some hard numbers on cow comfort and udder health related aspects, bedding characteristics, facilities, etc. Follow-up studies are planned that will address some of the concerns raised during the study we conducted.

Source: University of Minnesota/ Marcia I. Endres, Jan. 14, 2006
Source URL: http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairystar/01-14-06-Endres.htm

Boehringer Ingelheim’s Natural Care Center (NCC) announced today that it will also be marketing two of its recent nutraceutical products in the United States: Diaque®, an oral rehydration supplement for calves, and Bovikalc®, an oral calcium supplement for cows, are now available in the USA.

Source: Boehringer-Ingelheim Animal Health/ News Release, Jan. 13, 2006
Source URL: http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/corporate/asp/news/ndetail.asp?ID=3494

United Kingdom milk producers are having difficulty finding replacement heifers for their herds. Auctioneers are warning producers that a shortage of replacements could help curtail production.

In especially short supply are youngstock and replacement heifers, especially fresh-calvers. To help meet market demand, sales barns have been aided by including herd dispersal stock in sales.

Source: Farmers Weekly Interactive, Jan. 17, 2006
Source URL: http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2006/01/16/91864/Replacement+dairy+stock+at+a+premium.html

Lactalis, France’s largest dairy processor, has purchased Italian cheese producer Galbani. Although the amount of the deal was not announced, Galbani was valued at €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion US).

Galbani makes a range of Italian cheeses, including mozzarella and ricotta.

Source: Dairy Reporter, Jan. 16, 2006
Source URL: http://www.dairyreporter.com/news/ng.asp?n=65118&m=2DRE116&c=kiliywpuldsefex