The Israeli company S.A.E. Afikim (brand name afimilk) – and now S.A.E. Afikim USA, Inc. (afimilk USA) has announced that it is setting up an independent business to serve the North America dairy farmers. afimilk is a worldwide market leader in management technologies for milk production and dairy cow management. Previously the afimilk technologies were distributed by DeLaval, Inc. and the offering can still be obtained via DeLaval, Inc.

Accelerated Genetics announced a joint venture with Normande Genetics, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, to market a lineup of Montbeliarde and Normande sires imported from France.

On June 30, Charles City, Iowa, Mayor Jim Erb; Area Development Corporation Director Tim Fox; and Mitas representatives Vladimir Dusanek and Ralph Kellenberger held a ceremony marking the groundbreaking of construction at the former Winnebago Industries Charles City plant, which is being converted into a farm tire factory and which will begin production early next year.

Merck’s animal health division, formerly known as Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, announced that effective June 29 it has begun using the new name, Merck Animal Health. It will be known as MSD Animal Health outside the U.S. and Canada.

Holstein Association USA recently held its 126th Annual Business Meeting in conjunction with the 2011 National Holstein Convention in Richmond, Virginia, June 24 and 25. President Larry A. Tande presided over the meeting.

BinMaster Level Controls has teamed up with Sprint on its BinView machine-to-machine (M2M) cloud-computing inventory management solution that allows businesses to monitor inventory in their bins, tanks and silos over the Internet. This web-based inventory management system provides bin level information on demand, combining BinMaster SmartBob level sensors and the Sprint wireless networks to make the data easily available via the Internet.

Minnesota Milk Producers Association will be awarding up to eight $750 scholarships to students continuing their education within the dairy industry. To apply, students must meet all the criteria listed and submit all application materials to Minnesota Milk Producers Association by the July 8 deadline.

DeLaval International announced the next commercial installation of the DeLaval AMR will be in Germany. “This is yet another significant step for DeLaval as we enter the German market with the AMR. This system is a revolution in high capacity milking and what farmers with herds of 300-800 cows have been waiting for,” said DeLaval Vice President Business Area Capital Goods Andrew Turner.

In celebration of “A Decade of Difference,” Cause Matters Corp. recently launched 10X Connect, as a challenge to food and agriculture organizations to leverage their community around the food plate.

ABS Global, Inc. is celebrating 70 years in business this year. Throughout the years, ABS has shared a strong legacy within the dairy and beef industries. Founded in 1941 by J.R. “Rock” Prentice as American Breeders Service, ABS has influenced the entire artificial insemination industry through its business, philosophy, dedicated staff and technical innovation. Just 12 years after its foundation, ABS was the first to utilize liquid nitrogen technology to freeze bovine semen and has been on the cutting edge of technology and meeting the world’s production demands ever since.