Milk Producer - April 2010 - (Page 4)

EDITOR’SNOTES By Bill Dimmick Proactive approach Would you rather have farmers or supermarkets setting quality and animal welfare rules? O perating a dairy farm generally includes meeting rigorous regulations designed to deliver a highquality product to processing plants. Regulations also help protect the consuming public’s health. In most jurisdictions, the process includes regular inspections. In some cases, the inspector can represent a supermarket chain. United Kingdom supermarkets now commonly set their own standards for farms allowed to supply them. Tesco, the U.K.’s leading chain, for instance, insists farmers supplying milk for its house brands meet specific animal welfare and production quality standards. “We have our own animal welfare codes of practice for every livestock species, which are independently audited for us. Plus a team of dedicated Agriculture Managers who ensure that these policies are complied with,” Tesco’s website states. While the supermarket strictly enforces its standards, a farmer can earn a premium over going prices as a Tesco supplier. Given razor-thin margins in U.K. dairy farming, the premium could mean the difference between profit and loss for some enterprises. To earn it, these select farms “must have a written health and welfare plan to help review their approach to animal health on a regular basis and demonstrate commitment to planned and preventative health schemes.” In Canada, this would be akin to having Loblaws inspectors ensure your farm is up to snuff. Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) delegates sought to avoid THE MILK PRODUCER is published monthly by Dairy Farmers of Ontario 6780 Campobello Road, Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 2L8 EDITOR: Bill Dimmick ASSISTANT EDITOR: Sharon Laidlaw Co-ordinated by Communications and Planning Division, Bill Mitchell, Assistant Director. Change of address notices should be sent to: THE MILK PRODUCER 6780 Campobello Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5N 2L8. Subscription rates: $25.20 for one year, $46.20 for two years and $63.00 for three years in exactly that more than a decade ago at their annual meeting. They agreed to develop the quality assurance program now being implemented across Canada as the Canadian Quality Milk (CQM) Program, the subject of this month’s cover story starting on page 26. As well, DFC has been raising producer awareness of the updated Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle, distributed to all Canadian producers almost a year ago. Again, dairy farmers figured prominently in its development. We began publishing regular columns about the code in our February issue, and the series continues this month on page 18. Canadian dairy farmers have company when it comes to this proactive approach. Our U.S. neighbours recently launched the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program. It promotes and verifies “responsible animal care” on dairy farms, with California the first state to participate, starting in March. Future developments include initiatives to assure “quality, safety and wholesomeness of dairy products.” Sounds like a USQM program. All these programs really boil down to enhancing consumers’ trust in their food supply to help keep our industry successful and profitable. In Canada, your own peer group has helped develop dairy standards, not an outside entity more interested in padding its own bottom line. Opinions expressed herein are those of the author and/or editor and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policies of Dairy Farmers of Ontario. Publication of advertisements does not constitute endorsement or approval by The Milk Producer or Dairy Farmers of Ontario of products or services advertised. The Milk Producer welcomes letters to the editor about magazine content. Phone: (905) 821-8970 Fax: (905) 821-3160 bdimmick@milk.org slaidlaw@milk.org Website: Go to publications at www.milk.org E-mail: Canada (includes GST), $36 per year in the U.S., $36 per year overseas. Single copy: $2.50. Make cheques payable to Dairy Farmers of Ontario. Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40063866. Return postage guaranteed. Circulation: 10,000. ISSN 0030-3038. Printed in Canada. NATIONAL MARKETING MANAGER James Fitzgerald, 154 Jean Street, RR 5, Stratford Ontario N5A 6S6 Toll-free advertisers only: 1-888-460-6212 Phone (519) 393-5292 /Fax (519) 393-5293 E-mail: milkjim47@quadro.net 4 | April 2010 | MilkPRODUCER http://www.milk.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Milk Producer - April 2010

Milk Producer - April 2010
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Dairy Update
DFC Policy
Industry Roundup
DFC Promotion
Industry Initiative
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Markets
New 'N' Noted
Back Forty

Milk Producer - April 2010