Dairy producers, extension specialists, researchers, and dairy service and supply representatives will find this seminar valuable.

Each year a wide variety of topics are presented ranging from nutrition and reproduction to dairy policy and challenges facing the dairy industry.

This year’s event will be held March 5-8 at the Sheraton Red Deer in Red Deer, Alberta. With the theme, “Dairy Health is Dairy Wealth,” the seminar will focus on dairy health from herd health to the nutritional value of dairy products perceived by consumers.

The week begins with a pre-conference tour of three local dairy farms, a pre-conference welfare workshop for dairy producers and a pre-conference symposium for nutritionists.

Seminar sessions throughout the week include reproduction; the dairy industry-consumer continuum; new approaches and technologies in dairying; feeding and forages; digital dermatitis and lameness; and dairy health and productivity.

Click here for further details. For additional conference information contact Joanne Morrison, conference coordinator, or call (780) 492-3236.

To kick off the seminars on Wednesday, March 6, three speakers will present their take on current and future challenges in dairying. Below, each speaker highlights some of the challenges they will discuss.

Charlie Arnot
Center for Food Integrity

Defining the future of animal agriculture & why science isn’t enough – what consumers need
to trust dairy today

What are some of the challenges faced by today’s dairy industry?
The dairy industry, as is the case with all of animal agriculture, is feeling the mounting pressure of consumer expectations as they increasingly question today’s production systems and practices.

Activist groups opposed to modern agriculture are pursuing litigation, pressuring customers and fighting for new regulations to change the way dairy operates.

Customers and consumers are asking questions about animal welfare, sustainability, pre-harvest food safety, nutrition and other issues.

Why are these important topics to address?
We need to re-define today’s dairy industry in order to build consumer trust. Our research proves that confidence, or shared values, is three to five times more important than competence for consumers in determining who they will trust in the food system.

It is no longer sufficient to rely on science to defend today’s production practices. The foundation for sustained trust and support will be built on dairy’s ability to demonstrate that today’s practices are ethically grounded, scientifically verified and economically viable

Blair Murray
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Finding the tools to achieve longevity in Canadian dairy cows

What are some of the challenges faced by today’s dairy industry?
With the investment in raising a herd replacement in a dairy herd today in the range of $2,100 to $2,400, a long productive herd life is advantageous to recover the investment and return a profit to the dairy operation.

The challenge from a herd management point of view is that cow longevity is really an outcome of various herd management decisions and processes that have gone on in the herd and is an historical number.

To answer questions such as why or how can this be improved, one must dig deeper into herd management and decide the areas which need the greatest improvement.

Why are these important topics to address?
Cow longevity is multifactorial and reflects herd management on many levels. Longevity is driven by decisions about selling or keeping replacements and turnover rate.

Comparing herd performance to industry benchmarks for important herd management areas can help determine where emphasis and improvement is needed in an individual herd such as calf survival, transition cow health, reproduction, genetics, mastitis, hoof health and cow comfort.

Make use of as much herd information as possible to prioritize herd management functions that will give the greatest return.

Top managers need to make use of available performance information to make decisions that affect the longevity of their herd, rather than having the course of daily events dictate the direction of the herd.

David Hughes
Imperial College London

International dairy market prospects: promising future but ensure seat belts buckled
and crash hats on!

What are some of the challenges faced by today’s dairy industry?
Challenges faced by today’s dairy industry include:

• Growing international competition in the Canadian market as entry barriers are lowered in the face of regional trade agreements such as TPP;
• Declining per-capita consumption of fluid milk in many developed countries (including Canada);
• Positioning dairy products as “good for you” with consumers in contrast to exhortations from special- interest groups/medical profession to reduce saturated fat consumption in general and full-fat milk products in particular;
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in dairy product production and processing;
• The competitive position of the Canadian dairy industry relative to major international exporters of dairy products.  PD

Click here for more information.

-- From PD Staff news release