We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
In 1950, the dairy industry was pretty simple. Milk was produced primarily for drinking with some used for butter churning and some for ice cream. Dairy processors were within 100 miles of their suppliers and customers.
Milk that was pasteurized for drinking was only available as whole (full fat) milk. Good ice cream had high butterfat content. Producers were paid for the volume of milk they produced and maybe the butterfat content.
The removal of long-term constraints on the Irish dairy industry and the inherent potential in the existing Irish dairy herd will result in a considerable increase in production over the coming years.
A successful strategy to prepare for this massive increase is critical to the future of the Irish dairy industry. There is likely to be some spectacular front-loading in terms of increased production in the early post-2015 years.
From the first generation to the third, transition planning begins with a family meeting
When Stephen Maddox was a little boy, he dreamed of one day owning his own dairy farm. After all, his dad helped manage the family dairy that young Stephen’s grandfather started in 1957. Him doing the same would be family tradition.
In a small village in El Salvador, four co-ops are struggling to keep their fledgling dairies alive. Devoted co-op members work seven days a week tending animals not suited for their climate.
They produce just enough milk to meet the needs of their communities, and when there is excess, they struggle to find a foothold in the local market.
Tighter lending criteria in the last five years has led many enterprising dairy producers to look after their lending relationships almost as carefully as they do their cows.
While cows generate the cash, it’s the lender who can make modernization, growth and smooth sailing through unexpected cash flow troughs possible.
Milk checks in 2014 look like they will more than cover my feed and operating expenses.
Since this hasn’t happened for some time, and since I’m still gun-shy after 2009, how much cash should I hold liquid in a bank account after I pay some bills and build back a little equity? What should I do?
Many significant things have occurred in the dairy industry during my lifetime. High on top of my list is the phenomenal increase in U.S. cheese consumption. In 1950, per-capita cheese consumption was 7.7 pounds.
In 2012, the most recent data available, per-capita consumption of cheese was about 33.5 pounds. A person today, compared to 62 years ago, is eating 25 pounds more cheese per year.
RSS
