iKEENAN BRINGS IMPROVED CONTROL TO FEEDER WAGON
FEED PREPARATION Making the best use of the diet and controlling feed costs will become easier thanks to new developments in feeder wagon technology from feed presentation specialists Keenan. The iKeenan concept extends the ground- breaking PACE and Mech-Fiber technology and takes feed management to the next level.
“If farmers and their advisors are serious
about getting the best from the diet then they need to be monitoring how efficiently the whole diet is used and feed efficiency is the ideal way to do this,” stresses Max Ford, Marketing and Business Development Manager with Keenan. “New developments to the Keenan PACE system mean it is now easy for any nutritionist to track feed efficiency for their Keenan customers.” Users of the PACE system have been
able to download information of feeder wagon use to their computer and when milk output information is added the system calculates the feed efficiency. “The system was a great leap forward but relied on the farmer downloading the data and while some do this regularly, others did it less frequently. The data is also on the on-farm PC restricting regular access by the farm’s nutritionist.” With the new PACE Connect system
feed data is automatically uploaded onto a central web-based system using mobile phone and Cloud technology meaning the data is available faster with a report sent by email or direct to a Smartphone App. Furthermore, farmers can give their nutritionist, consultant or vet direct access to the data. “They can monitor performance and help
their customers improve margins on a regular basis, often without necessarily visiting the farm. They can also upload changes to the diet remotely which are then implemented the next time the feeder is used.” The other major development announced
by Keenan will help tackle the dual problems of over and under mixing of rations and reducing the cost of producing rations. AutoStop shuts down the PTO drive to the mixer wagon when the required number of revolutions has been completed and the optimal physical mix has been produced. “Over and under mixing is a big issue
which affects feed efficiency as the physical presentation of the ration has a substantial effect on how well it is used No-one sets out to leave the machine running too long but the operator can be distracted with the consequence being an over-processed diet. “AutoStop take responsibility for stopping
the mixing process and will save farmers money. We estimate that on heavy usage farms the effect of stopping mixing at the correct stage could be to reduce annual fuel usage by up to £1000 while also reducing wear and tear on the feeder.”
RESEARCH FORECASTS STRONG GLOBAL DAIRY OUTLOOK AND WHO STANDS TO BENEFIT FROM
THE CHANGING MARKET “Show Me the Money!” report explores leap in milk product value and who in the supply chain is benefitting Solid market growth over the last five years has milk—and the products derived from it—making an unprecedented leap in value. With the substantial increase in the value of dairy, researchers at the Rabobank International Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR) group find many along the supply chain wondering who is profiting from the bullish dairy market. The Rabobank International Food &
Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR) group’s “Show Me the Money!” report notes many of the profits flowing through the dairy supply chain in recent years have been absorbed by input costs for farmers or capitalized into the value of farmland. The era of strong demand and heightened prices has brought as many challenges to the sector as it has opportunities. “Outsiders looking to enter an industry
that appears to be in a golden age will need to carefully choose their investments,” notes Tim Hunt, Executive Director / Global Strategist Dairy with the Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory team. “To ensure they are managing risks adequately, those already in the industry will need to closely track its direction and their competitors’ moves.” The report also finds the next five
years should be characterized by solid growth, though that growth will be spread unevenly. “The uneven growth will generate some
important industry dynamics,” says Hunt. “We expect growth to be dominated by developing markets, which rely on imports to meet growing domestic demand. As a result we should see significant trade growth in the medium term, which will provide opportunity for farmers and processors alike in export regions.” The report also delves into surplus milk
and ingredients, returns for milk producers and the outlook for processors. Rabobank expects that if input costs stay high, so too, will commodity prices. The report finds growing demand in regions that are already short on milk, such as China and South East Asia, will lead to increased exports to these areas, and that the price of producing milk in these export regions is much higher than it was five years ago. FAR finds that the position of dairy
farmers has improved slightly, but not nearly as much as outsiders might imagine. In most cases, profitability has not improved enough to change the average return on assets. The profits are volatile and these operations are incurring a greater degree of risk.
The processing sector has fared
reasonably well and processors have typically maintained or improved their margins, and are retaining a higher return on capital than prior to the boom, according the report’s authors. The report also finds cheese companies have weathered market volatility well, though dominant Chinese players have seen their returns deteriorate due to the melamine crisis, slow growth and rising costs
DATE CONFIRMED FOR NATIONAL
FORAGE CONFERENCE Following on from the success of last year’s event, the UK’s second National Forage Conference will be held at Reaseheath College, Nantwich, Cheshire on Wednesday 27th
June. Sponsored by forage inoculant and
animal nutrition manufacturer Biotal Ltd, the conference will run from 9.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. and includes lunch. The conference will focus on ways to improve forage production and utilisation to help improve margins and reduce the impact of feed price volatility. “It has never been more important to
maximise production from forage, yet all the indicators suggest that in the UK there are still great opportunities to increase forage utilisation and so improve profitability,” explains Roy Eastlake, Biotal’s National Technical Support Manager. “The conference will help farmers develop
strategies to exploit the value of forages on their farm and will focus on the various ways to increase production with an international panel of speakers, each of whom is a leader in their field.” Speakers confirmed so far include
Professor Limin Kung from Delaware University who is a world expert on silage fermentation, and Dr Alex Bach who is a widely-regarded researcher in dairy cow nutrition at IRTA Research Institute of Agricultural Technology Barcelona. Delegates will also be able to visit the
College’s dairy unit and attend a number of practical briefings on the various aspects of maximising yield from forage including the opportunity to visit demonstration plots for various wholecrop forages. “The conference will offer an outstanding
opportunity to hear the latest thinking on exploiting the use of forage and to learn practical ideas which can be implemented back on the farm,” continues Mr Eastlake. The conference costs £30 (incl VAT)
for farmers and £90 (incl VAT) for trade delegates. For further details or to register call Biotal on 029 2047 5570.
FEED COMPOUNDER MARCH 2012 PAGE 41
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