Dairy Iowa: the secrets of success

How the dairy farms work in Iowa State, which is located in the Midwest of the US between the largest rivers Mississippi and Missouri, we told in the previous issue of our magazine. This time, as promised, we will focus on the three whales that keep the industry and ensure its continued development.

Dairy Iowa: Secrets of Success

For someone who has at least a general idea of world agriculture, Iowa is more associated with the cultivation of corn (because it is located in the heart of the so-called corn belt of the United States) and, accordingly, with the production of pork, beef and chicken.

To economy though high technologies

In the previous issue of our journal we had mapped out route in Lithuania. This time we continue our tour in Baltic States, and make a stop in Estonia and Latvia.

Farmer by vocation

Within the scope of the agricultural tour to Baltics representatives of farms joined AMP visited one of the most successful family dairy farm in Lithuania, which is part of the dairy cooperative Pienas LT.

Operation “Co-operation”

Within the dairy tour to the Baltics number of heads of farms joined Association of Milk Producers visited Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In this issue of magazine we will focus on Lithuania.There are several large processing companies, joined together and bought milk from farmers at much lower prices compared to the market ones. The only way to free their hands dairy producers saw the in co-operation.

Corn challenge from Alsace

In September, the National Federation of Seed Maize and sorghum France (FNPSMS) organized for the representatives of Ukrainian agricultural publications press tour. The goal was to show the production of maize seed, including the silo, and which place culture takes in feeding dairy and beef cattle. This will be a story about innovative approaches and interesting solutions, quality and stable development. But the most striking is that the French farmer with 30 hectares of land feels himself a producer of corn seed number one in Europe.

Voluntary Milking System

Scientific researches on the development of automated milking systems started in the late 70s of last century. Only 15 years later the first commercial robotic milker (robot) has appeared on the market. By the end of 2010 the world has had more than 17 thousand robots. Taking into account the growing popularity of automated milking and, accordingly, the rate of sales by the end of this year, their number in the world will be 20 thousand.

Dairy business in Russian way

A year or two ago to see the dairy farm supplied with modern equipment and technique, robots and automated software management, one had to go to the Western Europe, the USA, Canada and Israel. Nowadays, we more often appeal to our closest neighbor, Russia, with the farms, which you will not see in any country in the world.

One of these farms is in the Republic of Tatarstan, on a junction of two continents, Europe and Asia, and two religions, Orthodoxy and Islam. Dairy Complex Ltd. “Rahimov’s SEE” is a feather of a cap not only of its owners, the Rahimovs, but of the whole Republic and even country. The farm is unique, indeed. Its main feature is that for a big trade milk production they use a voluntary milking system (VMS), to put it simple, they are just milking robots. There are several similar farms in the world. The biggest of them, with 20 milking robots “Mason Dixon Farms”, is in the USA, two more are in Belarus (12 and 16 robots) and “Rahimov’s SEE” (16 robots) in the Russian Federation.

Milk phenomenon of California

California, where the Hollywood, film industry center of the world, is situated, is a state leader in production of milk. In 2008, they developed 19 million tons of milk there, and set new goals — 21 million tons of milk in 2020. Dairy industry has long taken the first position among other branches of agricultural production in the state. Each year the state sells dairy products for more than 4.5 billion dollars.

Local scientists have long calculated that the contribution of the dairy industry in the state economics is over 63 billion dollars creating 443,000 jobs. Having made these calculations, the scientists surprised not only themselves, proving that the dairy industry in the economic structure of the state is ahead of such well-known industries like film production and wine. Statistics show that the film industry creates assets at $ 35 billion and provides 208 thousand jobs, and the wine industry — 59 billion dollars and 330 thousand jobs, respectively.

For 16 million Dutch people as much milk is produced as throughout Ukraine

In late spring a group of Ukrainian milk producers and processors had the opportunity to visit the Netherlands and see the dairy industry of this country, let’s say, from within. Such visits are part of the Ukrainian-Dutch Infomoloko project, sold to Ukraine by company Friesian.

Friesian is one of the few consulting companies in Europe and even the world specializing on milk and dairy products exclusively — their quality, reduce cost, minimizing risk of contamination throughout the chain from production to consumption. The company has developed projects in various parts of the world: Indonesia, China, Russia, Ukraine, Middle East, Africa, where farmers want to produce more quality and inexpensive milk. As to the need for milk to be the cheapest and thus most qualitative, both producers and processors are unanimous. All they want to get more quality and cheap raw materials, and also evenly throughout the year. The company works closely with farmers and processors harmonizing their relationships.