THE LAND — DECEMBER 11/DECEMBER 18, 2020
www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
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Is it time to look at how we price milk in the U.S.? This column was written for the marketDec. 7 “Dairy Radio Now” broadcast if it’s ing week ending Dec. 4. time to restructure how we price milk in this country. He said it’s a decades-old The U.S. Department of Agriculture question; and one of the issues is the recently announced the November Federal complexity of the Federal order program. order Class III milk price at $23.34 per “When dairy farmers don’t understand hundredweight. This is up $1.73 from exactly how their milk is being priced, October, $2.89 above November 2019, and there is some resistance to the system,” the highest Class III since July. he said. The 2020 Class III average stands at MIELKE MARKET Federal orders also make export con$18.39, up from $16.74 at this time a year WEEKLY tracts more difficult, according to Fuess, ago and $14.69 in 2018. The Dec. 4 late By Lee Mielke and “Exports will be a key driver of dairy morning Class III futures contract was product disappearance and higher trading at $15.38, which would porprices for farmers. Hopefully, in the tend an $18.14 average for 2020. future, federal orders can be The Class IV price is $13.30, down tweaked to allow longer term con17 cents from October and $3.30 below a year ago. tracts to happen.” That put the 11-month average at $13.50, down As to negative PPDs, Fuess said, “They’re a reflecfrom $16.26 a year ago and compares to $14.15 in tion of volatility in milk; and for some farmers who 2018. are not necessarily seeing those negative PPDs, The large gap between October and November depending on the region, they have been extremely Class III and Class I prices again likely led to prothankful for record high cheese prices.” cessor de-pooling and huge producer price differen“Ultimately, it’s the hope — and the system is tials — resulting in dairy farmers in many regions designed — so PPDs average out close to the zero losing millions of dollars in revenue. mark over the long term,” Fuess reasoned. “If there I asked HighGround Dairy’s Lucas Fuess in the
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is something that can be done to even those out better on a month to month basis and allow farmers to receive the higher value of that cheese milk, maybe there is something that could be looked at there.” The system has been around since the 1930s, he said, and has prioritized Class I milk. “Perhaps a discussion can be had around having just one manufacturing class to allow milk to move to its highest value overall.” “Federal orders have not been revised in any sort for more than 10 years,” Fuess said, “with make allowances being the same since prior to 2010, and there’s a question there as to what those numbers should be as well.” It’s important for dairy farmers to consider every risk management tool available, Fuess concluded. “Farmers also have the power to vote orders out or processors can take a look at make allowances to see if there are other tweaks that could be made to the system that would benefit everyone.” n You’ll recall October milk output hit 18.56 billion pounds, up 2.3 percent from 2019. The October See MIELKE, pg. 14
Transportation stressors can impact the quality of meat SWINE & U, from pg. 12 and can do so in a few different ways. One of the major ways to reduce cold stress or the potential for frostbite would be closing trailer vents and gaps with boarding or paneling. Even on the calmest of days, traveling down the road at speed will create a chilling effect within an unprotected trailer. Again, the TQA handbook has a table with truck set-up procedures — including recommendations for side-slat coverage over different temperature conditions. It is important to note these recommendations never exceed 95 percent closure. Even on the coldest of days, some air exchange is necessary to improve air quality within the trailer, decrease humidity, and decrease the potential for suffocation. Information about bedding can also be found within the TQA handbook. In the previously mentioned wind chill table, recommendations for appropriate amounts of bedding during specific outdoor temperatures will achieve the primary goal of keeping animals dry, in addition to absorbing moisture and providing footing to reduce the amount of slips or injury. While 50-pound bales are used as standard measure for bedding, the addition of straw will provide an added layer of insulation during the trips. Chutes and other load-out alleys are often overlooked areas in the transportation process. Producers and transporters should work cooperatively to make sure these locations are bedded in a manner which provides proper footing to animals as
they enter and exit the trailer. The National Pork Board has been at the forefront of the livestock industry when it comes to establishHauling and transporting pigs is a process which ing producer and consumer standards. Programs involves many new experiences to pigs. They face physical requirements such as moving up and down like Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) and alleys, chutes and through doorway thresholds. They Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) provide caretakers, handlers and haulers with the resources to can be mixed with other animals without a previbuild a stronger industry and define the best pracously-established hierarchy, and can be subject to tices for production, management and transportahandling techniques or equipment different from tion of swine in the United States. This all impacts that to which they are accustomed. AD COPY INSTRUCTIONS Please read attached email pig well-being and pork quality for the consumer. On top of that, like humans, pigs can experience For more information about the PQA+ and TQA motion sickness — with some being more tolerant to CODE AND REP NAMES ALREADY ONaAD LAND 3.7461 x ” Programs, or to locate local THE quality assurance certransport than others. When combined with processtification advisor, visit pork.org. es associated with transportation stress, the environmental stressors such as exposure to cold temRefer to an updated TQA manual for further inforperatures can increase their levels of discomfort and mation about cold weather transportation. The have effects on meat quality. manual can be found at www.pork.org/certifications/ transport-quality-assurance/ v In a U.S. National Pork Benchmarking Study, packers indicated weather was the largest influence upon carcasses or wholesale cuts exhibiting undesirable pale, soft exudative pork. This research serves as a reminder that while efficiency or convenience may be important in transportation practices, producers and transporters need to consider the effects these stressors will have on the pigs, and in how those results will be passed on to the consumer. By following some of the concepts described above, we can ensure the safety and quality of the pork Local Sales Rep entering the food chain, and provide consumers Michael Luft: Worthington MN Lic David Baldner: Austin-Rochester with the pleasurable eating experiences which keep #BC048615 IA Lic them returning to the pork section of the meat case. C088675
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