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July 16, 2024
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UK - Supporting dairy cow gut health key to productivity and profitability
Gut health is a crucial factor affecting the health and performance of dairy cows, and is therefore key to farm productivity and profitability, producers are being advised. "During stress periods, the dairy cow's gut wall becomes more permeable, or 'leaky'. When this occurs, undesirable bacteria and toxic substances can pass into the blood stream, initiating an inflammatory response," explains Anna Millar, Trident MicroNutri Ruminant Technical Manager.
Milk yield and reproduction are very easily influenced by stress, due to the high energy and protein demands of lactation, and the complexity of the reproductive processes and organs involved. "Inflammatory responses require energy. As this energy will be taken from the available measure the cow would use for production, we can see negative impacts on productivity, fertility and overall health," she adds.
Acidosis and Endotoxins: When there is an imbalance of rapidly fermentable carbohydrates in the diet, causing a decrease in ruminal pH to a level below 5.6, cows will also be at high risk of acidosis. "When the rumen environment becomes more acidic, the balance of digestive microbes changes, with increased starch digesters and less fibre digesters. Continually increased starch digestion further decreases pH," she continues. "This results in a significant imbalance in nutrient utilisation and has also been associated with reduced milk yield and butterfat, alongside health issues. The financial impact is substantial due to decreased production, and costs of treatment."
The reduction in ruminal pH stimulates the gram-negative bacteria present in rumen fluid to die, and release endotoxins or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These gram-negative bacteria can also be present further along the digestive tract. "It has been well proven that subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) and stress have been associated with increased permeability of the gut wall, and increased inflammation markers in the blood, likely due to the transfer of LPS from the gut. Circulating LPS and increased permeability of the gut wall results in an activated immune system, which reprioritises the channel of energy to immunity and away from production, growth, and fertility."
Two-step approach: To reduce the risk of leaky gut and minimise the release of endotoxins in the digestive tract, Trident MicroNutri advises a two-step approach to support animals during stress periods. "Firstly, we can support the stability of the rumen pH with AcidBuf, the unique marine sourced buffer, with highly available mineral sources. By stabilising rumen pH, the risk of acidosis and leaky gut is reduced, and proliferation and lysis of gram-negative bacteria are minimised, hence reducing endotoxin load." Secondly, Millar suggests binding the LPS in the rumen with Ultrasorb R. "The recent reformulation of Ultrasorb R has considered both existing and newly available raw materials for both binding and detoxification," she says. The upgrade of the yeast extract and the addition of a new live yeast has improved fusarium mycotoxin binding, while the addition of new clays has increased the endotoxin binding capacity from 40% in the old formulation to 70% in the new Ultrasorb R. "By providing endotoxin binding and detoxification, we support the cow through reducing the endotoxin load and likelihood and severity of an immune response." TridentMicroNutri
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UK - CLA issues Labour with ambitious programme to help power growth
Compiled by the Country Land and Business Association the document is designed to explore how the Labour Government's manifesto, published ahead of the general election, can be implemented in a way that supports a strong rural economy, an improving environment and a stable system of food production.
Each chapter focuses on a promise made by the Labour Party during the election period, offering detailed policy analysis and concrete proposals that will help ministers, officials and parliamentarians deliver for the country. CLA President Victoria Vyvyan said: "We are ambitious for the countryside and want to see businesses flourish, good jobs created and communities strengthened. So too do we want to fight climate change, reverse biodiversity decline and provide quality access for the general public.
"There are many Labour policies with which we agree - there are some that we believe need to be revisited. We hope, however, that this document will help deliver a new era of government-industry cooperation that will, finally, unlock the potential of the rural economy. The rural economy is 16% less productive than the national average. If you close that gap, up to £43bn could be added to the Gross Value Added (GVA) of England alone. There are many barriers in place that prevent rural economic growth, but by implementing the ideas contained within this document, many of those barriers will be removed - and often through simple policy change rather than new investment."
The document covers topics including cross-government working, farming and food security, planning and housing, access, rural crime and energy.
The Programme for Government document can be accessed here.
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UK - Jeremy Clarkson battles council after dairy farm purchase
Clarkson has called out a UK council after it committed to buy and remove a dairy farm as part of nature-recovery efforts. Dorset Council has agreed to buy Middle Farm at Higher Kingcombe which is located alongside a Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) nature reserve. The council plans to change its use to woodland as rewilding the area would reduce harmful nutrients flowing from the farm into watercourses.
National reports say that the exact purchase price of the farm has not been disclosed but the council has received a £4.63 million grant from central government. Clarkson is no stranger to the agricultural plight in Britain having owned Chadlington's Diddly Squat Farm since 2008. The former Top Gear host has helped raise the profile of British farmers through his hit Prime Video show, Clarkson's Farm. Now into the filming of its fourth season, the documentary shows day-to-day life on the Oxfordshire farm and the issues which come with running such an operation.
The 64-year-old has taken against what Dorset Council are planning to do by taking to social media and calling out the local authority. One fan directly tagged Mr Clarkson in a post on X, formerly Twitter, linking the news and said: "#SaveBritishFarming #NoFarmersNoFood Jeremy Clarkson please comment and platform this plight!"
The Grand Tour star responded: "How on earth can they afford to do this? And why?" Dorset Council has not confirmed if the cost is higher or lower than the grant total of £4.6 million but did provide a statement to the BBC. In the release, the local authority said that the current intensive use as a dairy farm was "not ideal" because the area suffered from run-off as well as soil erosion.
A spokesperson for Dorset Council said: "The land is ideally located to deliver both nutrient reduction and nature recovery in the headwaters of the River Hooke. "Changing its use to woodland or rewilding can reduce nitrates as required and could be achieved with little investment."
The sale was approved by the former Conservative administration and is continuing after the Liberal Democrats took control of the council following the local elections. Dorset Council also added that it was supported by Natural England and that there had been further discussions with DWT, which runs the adjacent Kingcombe National Nature Reserve.
OxfordMail
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UK - AHDB's Ingredients into schools: A recipe for success
Earlier this year AHDB, in collaboration with the British Nutrition Foundation, launched a new initiative to provide ingredients to schools at no cost. Funded by your levy, the programme was supported by Lidl and UK Flour Millers, together with school caterers Elior and Hutchison Catering and their suppliers Bidfood and Turner Price. This exciting initiative empowered students in Years 8 and 9 to develop practical cookery skills, enabling them to participate in activities that might otherwise be limited by budgetary constraints. Schools across England participated in the initiative, engaging over 2,500 students in hands-on learning experiences. We're excited to share the results of the pilot project. The cost of ingredients often hinders schools from offering practical food lessons. This project sought to address this barrier by providing free British pork, beef, flour, and dairy products to participating schools. Supporting recipes and teaching resources were also provided to schools.
AHDB delivered three mini pilots across three different fortnights, the British Dairy & Flour Fortnight, held from March 4 to March 15, 2024, involving 910 students from ten schools. They learned to make homemade butter and crumpets, an experience that delighted both students and teachers. Toby, a 14-year-old participant, said, "I enjoyed eating the results!" Teachers praised the program for exciting their pupils and offering a different culinary challenge.
Positive Feedback
Both teachers and students embraced the initiative! Student learning outcomes from the teacher survey showed that 100% of students were inspired to cook with dairy, flour and beef again, and 67% with pork. Teachers also reported significant benefits from the programme: Flour & Dairy: 100% agreed that the activity increased students' skills and confidence in cooking, as well as their knowledge of the science behind bread and butter making.
Visit ahdb.org.uk/news/ingredients-into-schools-a-recipe-for-success to read more about the impact across other sectors and future plans.
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Be in it to win it!
Join Bonanza Calf Nutrition at this year's National Youngstock Conference on 18th July Sandy Park, Exeter stand number E31 and be in with a chance to win an O'Neill calf staller worth over £300! And if you can't make it on the day, you can still enter, simply click here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ST3V7WK
Safe and secure handling facilities are helpful for both the operator and stock meaning reduced chance of injury, lower stress and more efficient time management.
To enter, simply answer three simple questions before the competition closes on 21st July.
Full Terms and Conditions at www.bonanzacalf.ie/
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UK - About 80 % of farmers considering alternative revenue streams, according to new research.
Higher input prices, the cost of living, the fall out from Brexit and a transition from traditional farm subsidies have forced traditional arable, dairy or livestock farmers to use their land in different ways to boost income and in some cases remain a sustainable business.
Research commissioned by Investec Wealth and Investec highlighted the continued challenges facing those working in the agricultural sector across Yorkshire and the rest of the UK. Interviews with 100 freehold farmers found that all surveyed are trying farming alternatives in order to boost their incomes. This included 80 of the farmers, who said they have felt pressured into diversifying due to current market dynamics in the agricultural sector.
Mor than half said their farm's income had increased over the past two years because of other income streams. Two-thirds of farmers said they were increasing biodiversity through increased tree planting or carbon capture.
Yummy Yorkshire, at Denby Dale in West Yorkshire, started its diversification process from a traditional dairy farm by selling ice-cream made from its cows' milk at the farm gate and has evolved into an ice-cream parlour with 18 flavours and a farm restaurant, with Jeremy and Louise Holmes at the the helm as the third generation of farmers. Without either, said a farm spokesperson, it would be hard to say if the farm business would still be going or in what format.
A spokesperson for Yummy Yorkshire said: "The ice-cream was purely from a diversification perspective and looking at ways to make the farm work from a profitability perspective. We now have a parlour on site and an 80-seater restaurant, It has evolved hugely since 2007 to where that has almost become the focus of the business."
Other popular new revenue streams in the survey included appearing at farmers' markets or opening up to the tourism industry with holiday cottages or glamping facilities. Last year, the then government extended Permitted Development Rights (PDR) from 28 days to 60 days, enabling farmers and landowners to operate agritourism projects across the summer without needing further planning permission. Dan Yates, founder of booking site, Pitchup.com, says small campsites run under PDR make on average £13,000 in extra cash for farmers each year, while hardly impacting on the core activities of farm. YorkshirePost
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