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Bittersweet news backdrop to dairy field day

Linda F. Benedict, Morgan, Johnny W.

dairy lagoon

Participants at the LSU AgCenter's Southeast Research Station Field Day Nov. 13, 2007, learn the proper and environmentally safe ways to operate a waste water lagoon on a dairy farm. (Photo by Johnny Morgan)

Milk prices are up, but feed prices are, too. That was bittersweet news at a recent LSU AgCenter’s dairy field day at the Southeast Research Station in Franklinton.

The milk market has improved worldwide with higher prices for farmers, but ethanol production has raised the price of feed, according to Mike McCormick, coordinator of the Southeast Research Station.

Jim Beatty, technical representative for Purina/Land O’Lakes Inc., bore good news for those gathered at the Nov. 13 field day with an optimistic milk price outlook.

“We are at a world-record price for milk right now – 30 percent above where we’ve ever been,” Beatty said.

Explaining why prices are as high as they are, Beatty said, “Australia is in a drought and can’t keep up with the demand of the Pacific Rim, and we’re picking up that slack. “Europe has cut their farm subsidies, and when prices were so low in 2006, our production shrunk, and that’s helping prices now.”

But Beatty doesn’t expect the prices to hold past early 2009. He said when Australia is back in the game, and we finally catch up with world demand, prices may start to slip a little.

Dennis French, LSU AgCenter veterinarian, discussed embryo transfer in heat-stressed Holstein cows. His research is examining the benefits of impregnating cows through embryo transfer versus artificial insemination.

French said the results so far look promising, but the final pregnancy rates and a final assessment of this research will not be known until March 2008.

“What the preliminary data do show is that fertility of high-producing cows may be improved over artificial insemination during the hot months here in Louisiana,” French said.

Johnny Morgan

(This article was published in the fall 2007 issue of Louisiana Agriculture.)
12/7/2007 2:20:33 AM
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