Sacred cow: A milking machine?
Ecologically, the cow has been central to Indian civilisation. The integration of livestock in farming has been the secret behind India’s centuries-old sustainable agriculture systems. Farm animals...
View ArticleFarmers forced to slaughter cows as El Nino leaves 'no room for passengers'
Dairy farmers have begun slaughtering their cows as an El Nino sweeps across Australia, leaving "no room for passengers", the world's biggest dairy exporter, Fonterra, says. The weather phenomenon is...
View ArticleLivestock estimates, July 1, 2016 (Statistics Canada)
(Source: Statistics Canada) Released: 2016-08-18 Cattle inventories 13.2 million July 1, 2016 1.3% (annual change) Hog inventories 13.5 million July 1, 2016 1.9% (period-to-period change) Sheep...
View ArticleDark and dairy: The sorry tale of the milch animals
India has been making national and international headlines for its soaring beef exports. However, while there is ambivalence about India’s place in the beef market, there is more or less unquestioned...
View ArticleJapan's pampered cows eat cheap to boost profit on $US250 steak
The most-expensive meat in the world is getting a little cheaper to produce. Japanese farmers who raise Wagyu cattle for 7-ounce steaks that can fetch $US250 at the poshest restaurants have been...
View ArticleSouth Gippsland farmer moves milking season to adapt to climate change
Farmer Marian Macdonald with her family Photo: Heather Downing "It's such a dramatic change that the circle of life has actually shifted," Marian Macdonald says over the phone from her South Gippsland...
View ArticleMongolian imports to quench forage thirst
China will import more than 400,000 metric tons of forage from Mongolia next year to cope with the growing demand for dairy and other high-protein products, officials said on Wednesday. Shipments have...
View ArticleFodder for thought
The orders being issued by different state governments restricting production, sale and consumption of cattle meat — particularly beef — has generated much heat in the past few weeks. The discourse on...
View ArticleShrinking US herd a boon for NZ
Sheep and beef farmers are achieving better prices than their dairy counterparts this season - but don't expect them to celebrate. Beef, lamb and wool prices are all trading close to or above the dairy...
View ArticleSheep, beef pre-tax profit fall of 20%
South Island sheep and beef farmers are facing a 20% drop in pre-tax profit this season, driven by decreased revenue from sheep, wool and cropping. Beef and Lamb New Zealand has released its mid-season...
View ArticleWeight targets critical for heifers
Previous || Next Meeting heifer growth targets is vital to dairy farming success, a field day revealed. On their first visit to the new North Otago heifer-grazing focus farm late last year, cattle...
View ArticleStatistical press release - Results of the December Agricultural Survey 2016...
The results of the December 2016 Agricultural Survey have been released by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. This survey provides estimates of the numbers of cattle, sheep...
View ArticleStatistical press release - Results of the December Agricultural Survey 2016
The results of the December 2016 Agricultural Survey have been released by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. This survey provides estimates of the numbers of cattle, sheep...
View ArticleNot eating red meat won’t save the planet
It sounds so easy: stop eating red meat to lower greenhouse gas emissions. But nature is far more complicated than that. There are three critical questions you need to ask before cutting beef and lamb...
View ArticleWorking as a team key to success
Farm environment award winners Mick and Karen Williams say they are happy to farm well within the limits of their tree and bush-studded cropping farm beside the Ruamahanga River. "You don't need to...
View ArticleMaize cobs meal for livestock
The Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board has developed a new, low-cost cattle feeding material, Wanda, from maize cobs and would train farmers interested in producing it. The maize cobs meal,...
View ArticleRed beef by word of mouth
Standing in the middle of a paddock holding a cow's uterus while the vet performed an emergency caesarean, Wairarapa red devon breeder Julian Downs was in disbelief. It was a world away from his job as...
View ArticleCosts of cutting leaching studied
Canterbury farmers will plant chicory, plantain and other pasture alternatives as part of research to reduce nitrate leaching without losing farm income. The research programme, led by DairyNZ,...
View ArticleChallenge of farming in land of extremes
Central Otago has a climate of extremes. From its dry barren hills to its irrigated flats, it has a contrasting landscape. Both sides of the spectrum will be presented at the New Zealand Grassland...
View ArticleFocus on feedlot fattening
PAKISTAN’S meat industry, estimated at $115m, remains underutilised as the calves are not provided quality feed, particularly by subsistence farmers, which results in low quality production of beef. As...
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