Latest news with #dairy
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Nigeria imports Danish cows in bid to slash $1.5 billion milk import bill
ABUJA, June 2 (Reuters) - Nigeria is importing dairy cattle from Denmark as it aims to double its milk output within five years, part of a plan to cut dairy imports that cost the country $1.5 billion a year, Livestock Minister Idi Maiha said on Monday. Despite boasting one of Africa's largest cattle populations, Nigeria's milk output of 700,000 tonnes a year lags its annual consumption of 1.6 million tonnes. This shortfall means the country imports around 60% of its milk. "Our goal is ambitious but achievable; to double Nigeria's milk production from 700,000 tonnes to 1.4 million tonnes annually in the next five years," he said. Maiha said Nigeria's cattle population, exceeding 20 million, consists largely of low-yield pastoralist breeds. A Nigerian farm has already imported over 200 heifers from Denmark, building its herd through intensive breeding, Maiha said. So far, eight new pasture species have been registered, the first in 48 years, and a national strategy for animal genetic resources with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization has been launched, he said. "With over 20.9 million cattle, 60 million sheep, and 1.4 million goats already, we are not starting from zero, we are building from strength," Maiha said.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pineland Farms sells its historic Maine dairy herd
Jun. 2—NEW GLOUCESTER — Echoes reverberate off the walls of the dairy barn at Pineland Farms like they never have before. There's no hay covering the floors. The chirps of birds are no longer drowned out by moos. The barn is pristine because there are no more tenants. Pineland Farms has shut down its milking operation and sold off all but two cows in its Holstein herd, considered one of the oldest in the nation. It's keeping a pair of youngsters for educational purposes. It's a bittersweet change for staff at Pineland Farms — a farm, education center and major cheese producer with a large campus in New Gloucester. And it's an upsetting change for some community members. But milking and caring for 100 cows had become too costly — Pineland Farms said it lost $500,000 to $600,000 a year on the operation in recent years. Dairy producers across the state have expressed similar concerns: that costs are unsustainable, profits are shrinking and smaller farms in particular are struggling to stay afloat. The sale isn't foreshadowing the fall of Pineland Farms, though. Its educational programming is growing. And its cheesemaking business is going strong. It might sound counterintuitive, but Pineland believes parting ways with its Holsteins will make Maine's struggling dairy industry stronger. "We've had to think where our focus should be to help dairy in the long run," said Erik Hayward, executive vice president of Libra Foundation, which owns Pineland's nonprofit and for-profit arms. Even so, the cows' absence is noticeable. HOLSTEINS AT PINELAND The Libra Foundation purchased the 5,000-acre Pineland Farms property in 2000, replenishing the land left in disrepair by the state after it closed an institution for developmentally disabled adults and children. It built a tie-stall barn — a form of lodging, these days rare, for dairy cows where they can live and be milked without moving a hoof. And Pineland filled out that barn with the herd of Holsteins, which it purchased two years later. The herd's lineage dates back to the 1880s, when the Merrill family started breeding matriarch Trina Redstone Marvel, known as "Old Trina." It stayed in the Merrill family until the 1960s when Mike Wilson purchased the herd for his own farm in Gray. When the herd arrived at Pineland, there were about 200 Holsteins, half of which were milking cows. The count of calves, heifers and milking cows fell to 100 by this March, when the Holsteins left the property. Though the herd initially was the sole source of milk for Pineland's cheeses, that was short-lived. This year, the herd only contributed to about 10% of the 10 million pounds of milk Pineland uses to make cheese at its production facility in Bangor. Owning a herd of Holsteins is already an expensive endeavor. But Pineland had the additional burden of keeping its barn as clean as possible since it was on display to the public for demonstrations and field-trip tours. The animal barns have immaculately swept pathways and shop-vacced surfaces. Hayward said Pineland has for years effectively subsidized its commercial dairy operation. It wasn't financially viable to run such a small dairy operation anymore — a struggle that's affecting farms across the state. DAIRY INDUSTRY STRUGGLING Maine, at its height, had what was called the "Dairy Belt," from Waldo County, across to Kennebec County, into Somerset and Franklin counties and down to Androscoggin County. But the heritage industry is waning. In the 1950s, there were 4,500 dairy farms in Maine; today there are 135 that still ship milk commercially, according to Julie-Marie Bickford, executive director of the Maine Milk Commission. Maine dairy farms have an average 100 cows in their herd, compared to 250-300 nationally, Bickford said. The largest dairy producer in America, Rockview Family Farms in California, has 100,000 cows, according to trade publication The Bullvine. Maine's largest farm, Flood Brothers Farm in Clinton, has 1,700. "Someone in California once asked me what the average farm size was in Maine. And when I told them that, at the time, it was about 90 cows, they said, 'I'm sorry, it's not worth talking to you if you don't have at least 1,000 cows,'" Bickford said. And those smaller farms pay the price, struggling to keep up with the big players that the system favors. Small-scale dairy farmers have less negotiating power in how much money they sell their milk for. And they front the costs for shipping the milk, including a fee for a truck just stopping at a farm. Because there are few milk processors in the state, over 50% of raw, commercially made milk is shipped out of Maine, making those costs even higher than in other states. "Having 60 Holsteins milking, is more of a commercial operation done at a demonstration scale, which any farmer in the state would look at and say, 'You guys are losing your shirts,'" Hayward, at the Libra Foundation, joked. "It was a question of where do we focus those resources and our energy?" That focus has ultimately landed on supporting the rest of Maine's dairy industry. "As the largest cheese producer in Maine, right out of the gates, we need to be able to put a dent in that lack of processing capacity in the state," Hayward said. Pineland Farms has committed to only using milk from Maine farms. And the money the organization will save from cutting down the Holstein costs can go toward beefing up cheese production. The organization made an average $2,100 for selling each cow, which varied from the 60 milking cows to the 40 heifers and calves. Amanda Beal, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, believes that these kinds of creative partnerships are key to the future success of the industry. "We are seeing promising innovation in the works," she said in an emailed statement. SAYING GOODBYE Brittany Moon grew up with cows on her family farm. She's used to seeing animals come and go. Still, the education department assistant director said it was weird to say goodbye to 100 cows all at once. The first thing she noticed when she came to visit the barn after the cleanup was the resounding echo. She misses the bonds she formed. But Cathryn Anderson, the education department director, said there are plenty of possibilities moving forward, to grow educational opportunities and shift Pineland's purpose. "Certainly there's a sadness, not seeing all the cows that used to be here day to day," Anderson said. "But there's also an excitement of what can happen." The hardest part of the process, however, was the reaction from the community. There were families visiting the cows every day, some coming once a week. After announcing the cows' departure in social media posts, Pineland got what Hayward described as a "flurry of comments" from people who were either disappointed, sad or concerned about the cows' safety. "Hopefully they'll go to a sanctuary and not directly to a slaughterhouse," one person commented. Hayward, Moon and Anderson all emphasized that they were not only headed to dairy farms, but that a majority of the herd was staying together, continuing the lineage and legacy. Most are headed to two farms in New York and Vermont, while a few others have been rehomed to local farm owners. "It was nice to think that even though they're not here anymore, there are groups of cows that came from Pineland who are still together out there in the world," Moon said. "We're spreading the genetics that we had worked so hard on, that are now benefiting other farms, and they're getting to have these really high-producing, long-living animals, because we worked so hard to make them be such great cows." And it's not the last of the cows on Pineland's property. Highland cows continue to roam the property. And there are two members of the "T" family (which means the direct line to Tina, the original, 1880s era matriarch) holding down the fort: Timber and Thunder. "The "T" family is what started Pineland," Moon said. "It's poetic that we decided to keep these ones specifically, to keep that legacy going." Copy the Story Link
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Australians warned to prepare for a huge 'bill explosion' that's about to drive up the price of nearly every essential
Australian consumers are being warned to brace for a bill explosion with the cost of milk, butter, and meat set to rise as dairy farmers battle floods and drought - while power prices continue to soar. Egg prices have already surged by 18.6 per cent during the past year, with the latest natural disasters threatening to revive Australia's cost of living crisis. Last month's flooding on the NSW mid-north coast has particularly decimated dairy milk herds near Taree, Wingham and Gloucester. This is occurring as farmers in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania battle drought, which is pushing up the price of fodder to feed stock across the country. Joe Bradley, the president of dairy farmers' group eastAUSmilk, told Daily Mail Australia a 10 per cent fall in Australian milk production was likely, as a result of the latest floods in New South Wales and Cyclone Alfred in Queensland in March. This would ultimately hit consumers, and see supermarket prices for a litre of milk climb from $1.55 to levels above $2. 'Prices of dairy and dairy products will have to go up, there's no ifs or buts,' he said. 'Milk has to go up: you can't be paying $1.50 a litre for milk, it has to be two bucks a litre minimum for home brand milk.' Eight in 10 dairy farmers are now battling the aftermath of floods or droughts. 'We estimate that between the drought and the floods and Cyclone Alfred, there's probably 80 per cent of the dairy farmers have been affected one way or another,' he said. 'It's got to have an impact and prices for farmers' stuff is going through the roof.' A new wave of natural disasters can lead to more farmers quitting the industry, leading to Australia importing more dairy products. 'The consumer will one day pay for all this, there's no doubt about that,' he said. 'It's just a matter of getting in now and trying to make sure that we have fresh dairy for the next generation. 'I can tell you, if milk keeps getting shorter, dairy products keep getting shorter, it might not be a staple diet anymore - it might be a luxury diet.' Back in 2001, shortly after dairy deregulation, Australia's annual dairy milk production peaked at 11.3billion litres, back when Australia was home to 18.8million people. That is estimated to have fallen to 8.2billion litres, as Australia's population has grown to 27.3million. During the past two decades, the number of dairy farmers in NSW and Queensland has also plunged by 85 per cent. 'Once you go out of dairy, you don't come back; milk is getting less, Australia's population is growing,' he said. Australia has also become a net importer of butter - exposing consumers to fluctuations in global demand for the spread with less of it now made locally compared with two decades ago. Michael Harvey, a senior dairy analyst with Rabobank, said higher global butter prices, as a result of problems like blue tongue disease affecting European cattle, could see Australians pay more for butter. 'The reality is it's a record-high butter price we've got at the moment,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'If it remains elevated, there's a chance it will, you'll see retail prices moving higher. 'We actually import more butter now than we did - it's a long-run decline in milk production.' Major dairy processors like Norco, Lactalis and Saputo are publishing farmgate prices on Monday, which will determine what dairy farmers are likely to be paid for their produce at a wholesale level in the year ahead. 'Higher global prices feed through to higher retail prices,' Mr Harvey said. 'It's improving global demand, which means you get higher global prices for dairy which then put upward pressure on local prices whether it's at farmgate or in the wholesale market.' Australian consumers have this year already been dealing with an egg shortage after an outbreak of avian influenza affected egg production in Victorian and NSW. As a result, egg prices soared by 18.6 per cent in the year to April with price statistician Michelle Marquardt blaming the outbreak of avian influenza. 'While annual inflation eased for most food categories in April, egg prices were up by 18.6 per cent in the past 12 months. This comes as supply has been affected by bird flu outbreaks,' she said. Agribusiness giant Elders is also predicting an increase in beef and lamb prices, in the six months to September, as a result of drought conditions in southern Australia. This would reduce the supply of livestock 'following increased de-stocking in dry regions'. Meanwhile, electricity price increases of somewhere between 0.5 per cent and 9.7 per cent can be expected from July 1 by customers on default market offers, the maximum retailers can charge as spelled out by regulators. NSW customers on standing offers face the steepest price growth of between 8.3 per cent to 9.7 per cent, depending on their network area. Residential customers on default plans in southeast Queensland can expect hikes of anywhere between 0.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent, while people in South Australia face rises of 2.3 per cent to 3.2 per cent. Victorian households can expect a modest one per cent average bump, according to the Essential Services Commission. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended his government's energy policies when asked if households were bearing the financial burden of increased network costs to switch to clean energy. 'The cheapest form of new energy is renewables, backed by gas, backed by batteries and backed by hydro for firming capacity,' he told reporters. 'That is the transition that is under way. 'And at the election on May 3, there was the option of stopping all of that, waiting until the 2040s for the nuclear fantasy to be rolled out with costs, unknown of that.' Deputy leader of the opposition Ted O'Brien said electricity prices continued to rise despite 'constant assurances of cheaper power from the Albanese government'. 'The AER identifies high demand, network and power station outages and low renewable generation as the key drivers behind the continued rise in prices,' said the former energy spokesman. 'While the opposition acknowledges it did not meet expectations at the recent election the fundamental issues in Australia's energy market under Labor persist - prices continue to rise.'
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Unwavering commitment to quality, health, and sustainability
As the world comes together to celebrate the nourishing legacy and cultural significance of milk on World Milk Day 2025, Nutridor Abevia proudly joins the global movement by highlighting its unwavering commitment to quality, health, and sustainability. Milk has been a symbol of vitality, growth, and comfort for generations — a universal ingredient that connects traditions, cuisines, and communities. At Nutridor Abevia, we believe in honouring this heritage by crafting dairy products that not only elevate everyday meals but also reflect our responsibility to the planet. Through innovation, ethical sourcing, and environmentally conscious manufacturing, we continue to deliver products that bring joy to kitchens while shaping a cleaner, more sustainable future for the food industry. Abevia's dairy range: Enriching everyday moments At the heart of Abevia's offering is a trio of essential dairy products that blend tradition with innovation: Abevia evaporated milk: A rich, velvety ingredient that enhances everything from coffee and tea to creamy casseroles, soups, and sauces. It's a convenient, no-sugar-added option for those who want full-bodied flavor with a longer shelf life. Abevia sweetened condensed milk: The perfect partner for desserts, baking, and confections. Whether you're whipping up a traditional dessert or creating a sweet treat for the family, Abevia's condensed milk adds just the right touch of smooth sweetness. Abevia cream: A versatile and indulgent cream ideal for both savory and sweet dishes. Its luxurious texture and high quality make it perfect for enriching sauces, pastas, desserts, and even traditional recipes that call for a rich, creamy finish. Recognised for responsibility: A sustainable future Beyond taste and quality, Nutridor Abevia is proud to be the recipient of the Prestigious Sustainable Manufacturing Award 2025 under 'Make it in the Emirates' of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MOIAT). This honour reflects our deep commitment to environmentally responsible practices, including operating a solar-powered manufacturing facility, achieving a remarkable 98 per cent recycling rate, and implementing rigorous supplier sustainability programs that promote ethical and eco-friendly sourcing. Our ongoing investments in green technologies, energy-efficient systems, and adherence to global environmental standards reinforce our mission to lead the dairy industry in sustainability — delivering quality products while protecting the planet for future generations. Investing in innovation and local production Nutridor expanded its regional footprint with a state-of-the-art dairy manufacturing facility in Dubai Industrial City. This not only boosts our production capacity but also strengthens our contribution to the UAE's food security and economic diversification goals. Join the celebration This World Milk Day, Nutridor Abevia invites families, foodies, and chefs to celebrate the magic of milk through creative cooking and conscious consumption. From breakfast to dessert, Abevia products are crafted to elevate every bite with quality you can taste and values you can trust.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
From farm to family: The fresh promise of Al Rawabi Dairy
For over 35 years, Al Rawabi has been a household name across the UAE and Oman, delivering not just dairy products, but a promise of health, quality and sustainability. Headquartered in Dubai, Al Rawabi Dairy has consistently set the benchmark for freshness and innovation in the region's dairy industry. With the slogan 'The Nation's Health,' the company takes pride in its role as a key contributor to the well-being of millions. Al Rawabi stands out as the only dairy company headquartered in Dubai with production and processing facilities located less than 200m apart. This close proximity ensures that fresh milk is delivered to supermarket shelves in less than 12 hours from the time it's collected. 'Locally produced in Dubai, UAE' isn't just a label, it's a promise of freshness, and accountability. Serving over a million consumers daily and supplying more than 14,000 stores, Al Rawabi's impact is both broad and deep. Its farm, home to over 16,500 cows, is a model of modern, ethical farming, prioritising animal welfare, environmental responsibility, and nutritional quality. The freshness factor At Al Rawabi, freshness begins at the source. The cows are nurtured with a diet rich in natural, nutrient-packed fodder, ensuring their health and happiness. This mindful care translates into milk that is not only fresh but also bursting with flavor and packed with nutrients. From the moment it is milked to the time it reaches your table, every step in the process is carefully orchestrated to preserve purity. Rich in calcium, protein, and essential vitamins, Al Rawabi milk supports strong bones, healthy muscles, and overall vitality. Each drop embodies a commitment to quality nutrition — an essential foundation for a healthier, more active lifestyle. Innovation that leads the industry Innovation is the heartbeat of Al Rawabi's strategy. The company invests heavily in research and development, working alongside more than 100 clinics and health specialists across the GCC. The goal? To develop functional dairy products that address regional health challenges, such as vitamin deficiencies and lifestyle-related diseases. From Nutree Boost, a laban-based meal replacement with oats, to the region's first ready-to-drink Matcha Latte, Al Rawabi is constantly redefining what dairy can do. Other standout products like Vitamin D Milk and Super Milk reflect the brand's dedication to targeted health solutions for families. Al Rawabi's commitment to sustainability is both deep and wide-ranging. The completion of its environmentally friendly biogas plant is a major milestone—making the farm the first self-contained dairy operation in the UAE. Waste is recycled into energy, and natural resources are used responsibly to minimise environmental impact. The cows graze on pesticide-free pastures, and every element of production is aligned with sustainable agricultural practices. From eco-friendly packaging to reduced carbon emissions, Al Rawabi ensures that the production of every bottle of milk supports a healthier planet as well as healthier people. Milk has long been a symbol of nourishment, comfort, and family traditions. Al Rawabi recognises this cultural heritage and integrates it with modern innovation to offer products that respect the past while meeting the demands of contemporary life. By delivering products that align with traditional values and modern needs, Al Rawabi nurtures a deep emotional connection with its consumers. It's more than just milk — it's a continuation of family rituals, a gesture of care, and a commitment to a healthier future. Al Rawabi's mission goes beyond producing dairy. It actively supports local communities through employment, outreach programmes, and sustainability initiatives. By creating jobs and investing in the well-being of its employees, Al Rawabi strengthens the social fabric of the communities it serves. The brand also promotes a health-first mindset through educational campaigns and partnerships with healthcare providers. By encouraging better nutrition and healthier lifestyle choices, Al Rawabi contributes to the long-term health of the population. Dedication to excellence Every step of Al Rawabi's process — from farm to packaging is governed by rigorous quality control protocols. The company's facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art technology that meets the highest international safety and hygiene standards. This ensures that every product reaching your table is safe, nutritious, and delicious. Al Rawabi's dedication to excellence is evident in every sip. Whether you're enjoying a glass of milk, preparing your child's breakfast, or reaching for a healthy midday refreshment, Al Rawabi is a name you can rely on.
