January 2019 Newsletter

Milk Price

The milk price for the month of December has been reduced by 1.00 cent per litre. This brings the price to 34.55 cents per litre (157.07 cents per gallon) at 3.60% butterfat and 3.30% protein, including Winter Somatic Cell Count (SCC) bonus of 0.88 cpl and VAT at 5.4%.

The average price paid for the month is 41.00 cents per litre. This is based on the average butterfat of 4.54% and protein of 3.66%, including SCC bonus and VAT.

Milk Supply

Milk supply for 2018 is up 11.4 million litres approx. compared to 2017. This represents an increase of 6.14% in milk volume from 2017 to 2018. There is an 7.03% increase in milk solids over the same period.

Fertilizer and Feed

Each milk supplier is receiving a summary of their purchases of feed and fertilizer from the Co-Op for 2018. These documents should be carefully filed for future use. Account holders are also receiving their annual purchases statements this month.

Your December milk statement is also your annual milk statement. If there was no supply in December, your November statement is your annual statement. The statement is the blue sheet included in this month’s accounts.

Annual milk and purchases statements are also available to all online users @ www.drinagh.com

Bulk Milk Tank Contract

Ailbe Allen and Charleville Refrigeration are no longer available to provide bulk tank service contracts in our area. Kingston Refrigeration continue to provide service contracts.

Kingston Refrigeration are contactable on 023 8845420 if you require any further information.

Spring Dairy Seminar

The Society is holding a
SPRING DAIRY SEMINAR
on Wednesday the 23rd of January 2019
in Skibbereen Mart at 8.00p.m sharp

Speakers & topics include:

Mr. Jason Hawkins, CEO Carbery Group

Dairy Market Outlook

Martin Kavanagh MVB MRCVS Cert. DHH

Calf management from 3 weeks before calving to weaning

The key areas of Martins talk will focus on:

• Housing
• Feeding the fresh calf
• Colostrum management
• Calf nutrition
• Grouping of calves

All Welcome to Attend

Irish Johne’s Control Programme (IJCP)

Phase II of the IJCP is now open. An application form is included in the months accounts or alternatively can be completed online.

Milk processors are providing financial support to help cover costs for whole herd testing for three years (test-negative pathway) or four years (test-positive pathway. The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine is providing funds to meet the costs of the veterinary risk assessment and management plan (VRAMPs).
For more information visit the Animal Health Ireland website.

Health Cert – Final Reminder

A number of suppliers have yet to submit a Dairy Health Certificate. We will be unable to collect milk from 1st January 2019 without receiving a completed cert. The white copies of pages 1 and 3 should be sent to the Co-op.

The cert should be signed by a vet and dated 2018.

If you intend to continue supplying in 2019, please attend to your Health Certificate obligations immediately to avoid unnecessary letters and phone calls.

Milk Quality

As suppliers recommence supplying in the Spring it is important that proper standards are maintained from the beginning.

Ensure all equipment including water heater is working correctly. Check all rubber ware and replace all worn or damaged sections paying attention to rubber bends which are often a source of bacterial growth.

The first collection from each supplier will be tested for T.B.C., S.C.C. and antibiotics. Therefore, milk should only be stored for a maximum of 4 days before collection.

Contact your milk collection driver in adequate time so that collections can be arranged.

We recommend that suppliers take a milk sample from their tanks and have it tested in Carbery prior to recommencing milk supply to ensure that the milk is fit for collection.

PastureBase Ireland Transfer

Drinagh and Teagasc are delighted to announce that PastureBase Ireland users can now request their milk data to be sent to the Grassland Management Software.

Users can activate their milk data link by logging onto www.pbi.ie and enter their 6 digit supplier number in the ‘Milk Sales’ option. After each milk collection the litres, fat and protein % along with SCC, and TBC will be sent to PastureBase Ireland where litres per cow and milk solids per cow will be calculated.

This information will be great addition for producers who are in discussion groups where they can compare grass and milk figures with their peers.
PastureBase Ireland recently launched their new offline app which is available for both iPhone and android smart devises. If you wish to join PastureBase Ireland or have any queries on the milk link with Drinagh, please contact PastureBase Ireland at any time on 046- 9200965 or support@pbi.ie.

Reminders

• Drinagh Spring Dairy Seminar Wednesday 23rd of January in Skibbereen Mart
• PastureBase Ireland transfer now available to Drinagh suppliers