MPO Milk Bulletin 1 December 2017

The Agricultural Writers SA recently acknowledged outstanding achievements of commercial farmers, new entrants into commercial agriculture, and agriculturists. These awards were recently handed over in Bloemfontein at a function sponsored by Monsanto SA, Sanlam, Santam Agriculture and Rovic Leers.
One of the aims of these awards is to give prominence to the role that farmers and agriculturists play in the agricultural sector in South Africa. The national Farmer of the Year is Charles Back of the Western Cape, the national Agriculturist of the Year is Dr Annemie Erasmus of North West and the national New Entrant into Commercial Agriculture is Warren Bam of the Western Cape.
“Every day we are met with the challenge of feeding a growing world population. With these awards, Agricultural Writers SA recognises the role that farmers and agriculturists play in addressing food security,” said Magda du Toit, chairperson of Agricultural Writers SA. To read more, click HERE.

If your company has launched or will launch an innovative, cutting-edge product in the South African dairy market between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018, then you should enter the 2018 TDM innovation awards.
By entering you:

• raise your personal or company profile – shortlisted and winning entries are promoted to our readers all over the country, offering fantastic coverage;
• prove your knowledge – increasing your reputation within the industry; and
• align yourself with excellence – the TDM Innovation Awards are all about celebrating excellence.

The winner will be announced at the annual MPO gala dinner and receive a 5-page spread in the December issue of The Dairy Mail (valued at over R60 000). To read more, click HERE.

After the successful launch of the TDM Stewardship Awards in 2017, The Dairy Mail is again inviting nominations for 2018. In keeping with the strategic goal of the MPO, sustainable dairy farming for all, we believe that good stewardship should be recognised and rewarded. If you know a dairy farmer who is the epitome of a good dairy steward, nominate him or her in the second annual TDM Stewardship Awards competition.
Nominated farmers should excel in at least one of these areas:

• Is they good stewards of the land?
• Do they produce milk that is healthy, wholesome and safe to drink?
• Are animals and humans on the farm treated with care and consideration?
• Are they running a profitable dairy business?

To enter, complete the entry form and submit your nomination to the editor at robyn@agriconnect.co.za by 31 May 2018. There will be a judging process, including a farm visit, and farms will all be judged on the same vital capital index. Nominated farmers will also receive feedback based on this report in order to further improve their sustainability efforts. The winner will be announced at the annual MPO gala dinner and receive a 5-page spread in the December issue of The Dairy Mail (valued at over R60 000). To read more, click HERE.

Prices at the latest Global Dairy Trade auction held on 21 November were 3,4% lower than at the previous auction held at the beginning of November.  This is the fourth decrease since September 2017. The Gdt trade-weighted index currently stands at 969, 10,8% down on the September 2017  peak. Prices are still 77,8% up on the low reached in August 2015.

The International Dairy Federation will gather leading nutrition and environmental experts from around the world in Seville, Spain to discuss the role of dairy in sustainable diets on 1 and 2 February 2018. This event will bring a new perspective to the table, in looking at both the environmental and nutritional aspects of dairy simultaneously.
The event will offer delegates a mix of presentations and content, covering both the nutritional and environmental facets of both topics, throughout the two days. The first day of the programme will cover three sessions, focusing on sustainable diets, public perceptions of dairy and dairy as part of a nutritious diet. The second day of the programme will focus on the environmental and socioeconomic impact of dairy and mitigating the environmental impact of and adaptating to climate change. The full programme is available at https://www.fil-idf.org/idfevent2018/. To read more, click HERE.