Connacht Gold’s Low Fat but-ter TV ad will be back onscreens next month!

In April 2013, ConnachtGold launched its first TVcampaign since 1990. TheConnacht Gold Low Fat but-ter ad was filmed on the farmof supplier, TJ Tuffy inDunally, County Sligo. The adaired on RTE, TV3 and theSky group and was combinedwith national radio ads and

extensive point of sale activ-ity.

Since that campaign, Con-nacht Gold has over-per-formed within the butter andspreads category, by increas-ing sales and market share,increasing customer penetra-tion, repeat purchase anddriving loyalty.

The TV ad will be airedagain during February andMarch 2014.

CONNACHT GOLD BACK ON TV

Strong global dairy prices combined with increased Irish availabilityas the year progressed helped boost the value of dairy product andingredients exports by an estimated 15% to exceed €3 billion for thefirst time in 2013.

In 2013, the total value of Irish food and drink exports hasapproached €10 billion for the first time, according to new figuresreleased by Bord Bia last week. This represents an increase of 9% onthe previous year and 40% in the last four years with revenuesalmost €3 billion higher than in 2009. – continued on page 6

Dairy churns out one thirdof €10bn Irish food exports

Newsletter

January 2014

AurivoNEWSLETTEr 3January20142

Aurivo is now on Twitter. Join the conversation @AurivoCo_op

FiVE TO FOLLOW:

TOP TWEETS!

@agrifoodconf @milksources @seancoughlan_ @ConnachtGold@organicforus

Dairy Ingredientsopen this winterAurivo Dairy Ingredientsin Ballghaderreen re-mained open throughoutthe winter months for thefirst time in the past 10years. In previous years,the dairy ingredients siteclosed between Decem-ber and February, how-ever increased volumesand market demand ledto year-round production.

Supplier survey Aurivo will be conductinga survey to identify sup-plier plans, future outlookand growth opportunities.All suppliers will be con-tacted by a representativeof Aurivo by phone in thecoming days. The surveywill take approximately 2-3 minutes and we wouldencourage all suppliers tocooperate.

Nuffield scholar to studytransfer from beef andsheep to dairying Nuffield Ireland is an independentorganisation that works to pro-mote agriculture excellence by de-veloping and supporting keyinfluencers who want to make apositive impact on the Agriculturesector. Aurivo is investing in theleaders of tomorrow by sponsor-ing one of the seven scholarshipsawarded annually.

Aurivo’s 2014 Nuffield scholar,Sean Coughlan from Lahardane,County Mayo keeps suckler cowsand Mayo blackface sheep on amixture of hill and lowland. He isalso a columnist in the FarmersJournal.

He intends to study the transferfrom beef and sheep farming todairying. His project will accessthe knowledge and capital re-quired to be successful in dairyfarming and is titled ‘A Transfer toDairying; the Knowledge andCapital Required’.

Newsbriefs

Milk positive with antibioticscannot be used for human con-sumption and cannot be al-lowed into the food chain.Indeed any load of milk foundpositive must be pumped into aseparate sealed tanker and dis-posed of at a location licensedto receive antibiotic contami-nated milk.

The supplier who causes theload to fail the antibiotic test isresponsible for the full com-mercial value of the milk de-stroyed by his contaminateddelivery. He is alsoresponsible for thedisposal costs ofthe contaminatedmilk. This cost issizeable and everysupplier should en-

sure they are covered by in-surance for the cost of de-stroying a tanker load of milk.

When a supplier’s milk failsantibiotics, before he can becollected again there must be aclear antibiotic test from hisbulk tank. It is also recom-mended to pinpoint the cowscausing the problem and re-move them from the supply.

Each delivery of milk fromthat supplier must be checkedfor antibiotics for a period ofone month after the delivery of

contaminated milk.

New

slet

ter

des

ign:

www.Siobha

nFoo

dy.co

m

THE COST OF ANTiBiOTiC rESiDuES

lll AGRIFOOD CONFERENCE @AgrifoodConf Don’t miss our#agrifoodconference on 31/1 that will explore ‘Origin Green’ and‘Brand Ireland’ agrifoodbusiness.com/ register-now

lll CONNACHT GOLD @ConnachtGold Want to meet yourNew Year’s health goals without compromising on taste?@ConnachtGold Low Fat butter is recommended in@ShelfLifedotie

lll AURIVO CO-OPERATIVE @AurivoCo_op@SeanCoughlan_ is @AurivoCo_op 2014 @NuffieldIreland scholar.See more about the leadership programme here bit.ly/1dciMNn

lll AGRILAND @AgrilandIreland Maximising grass growth keyfor profit- Irish Grassland Association ow.ly/skLu7

lll FJ DAIRY @FJDairy lll 1/2 Tom Clinton speaking at theIrish Grassland Dairy Conference in Kilkenny. 2/2 He expectsIreland to increase milk production by 50% in the next five or sixyears and to increase by 100% in 2030- more to follow

lll STEAM TURBINES @steamturbines Aurivo to develop€5.5m biomass project in Ireland – Energy Business Review: IrishIndependentAurivo to develop... bit.ly/1Msl6M

The Happy Pear @thehappypear Yippee! The first coffee thismorning with our new Organic forUs milk- Delicious. Welcome!!

Names: Father and son, Roy andWesley Hastings, recipients ofAurivo’s Overall Milk Quality Awardlast year.

Location: Lifford, County Donegal

Herd size /outlook: Milking 200

Cow types: Holstein, Friesian andJersey cross

Importance of milk quality:Quality is high on the agenda inorder to maximise our return, c /ltrand also to meet the quality andlegislative criteria along with theincreasing consumer demand .

Farming experience in the lastmonth: It is a quiet time at presentand we are checking the conditionof the stock. Poor weather is aconcern in the event that is wouldcontinue into the spring.

Farming objectives in the comingmonths: We will be preparing forspring calving, self motivation isimportant coming out of the wintertime in order to maintain ourstandards and to set goals for 2014.

I WOULD ENCOURAGEINVOLVEMENT INDISCUSSION GROUPS ASTHEY ARE HELPFUL TOFARMERS IN MAKINGDECISIONS, BUT EQUALLYIMPORTANT IS THAT THEYCAN HELP MEET A NEEDTHROUGH THE SOCIALENVIRONMENT WHICHCAN BENEFICIAL TOINDIVIDUALS IN COPINGTHROUGH DIFFICULTTIMES.

“”– Wesley Hastings

FArM FOCuS

AurivoNEWSLETTEr 5January20144

To login when you receiveyour password, please followthe instructions below:

Step 1a) Log into www.aurivo.ieb) On top of page find Farm-ers’ Login (see image above)c) Click on Farmers’ Login

Step 2

a) Enter Usernameb) Enter Password

Step 3a) All your milk test results areavailableb) Click on the date boxes tochange the periods you wish toviewc) Click through on the linksin blue to avail of additionalservices

AuriVO FArM SErViCES ONLiNE

The Aurivo FarmServices FarmerLogin page providesall our farmersuppliers with up todate milk results online. In addition,the Farmer Loginpage also provides:• Milk test resultsfor each calendarmonth or for a fullyear• In summary andin detail• View your accounttransactions• View our AurivoMilk SupplierGuide• Direct links to theDepartment ofAgriculture andTeagasc Benefits:• All milk testresults are in onelocation• Available anytimeon mobile, laptopor notepad• Secure

To login you will need a user name and password.To get your personal user name and password pleasecontact Barbara at 094 9860143 or email bcahill@aurivo.ie

Step 1: Find the farmers’login tab on www.aurivo.ie

Dairy churnsout one third of€10bn Irishfood exports– continued from front page

Exports to China grew byover 40%, with values treblingover the last three years to reach€390 million in 2013. It is nowIreland’s sixth largest marketoverall, driven in particular bystrong dairy and pork exports.

Minister for Agriculture,Food and the Marine, SimonCoveney, TD said “Significantgrowth in 2013 has brought ex-port values in the Irish Foodand Drink sector to record lev-els. This leading performancein what was a challenging yearfor the industry, highlights thekey role of agri-food, Ireland’slargest indigenous sector, in un-derpinning exports and eco-nomic activity. Export values ofalmost €10 billion are really im-pressive, and demonstrate theclear opportunity and benefit ofinvesting in a sector withproven resilience, a significantdomestic economic footprintand strong ability to grow. Withincreasing demand from moreaffluent consumers in key worldmarkets, there is little doubt thatthe €12 billion export target setout in the industry-led strategyfor the agri sector Food Harvest2020 is well in sight.”

Commenting on the figures,Aidan Cotter, chief executive,Bord Bia said: “Among thehighlights of 2013 have been thedouble digit growth in dairyand beef export values, thestrong recovery in sales to euro-zone destinations, and the ex-ceptional performance of theindustry in China, now Ireland’ssecond largest dairy and thirdlargest pork market. The indus-

try is well positioned to exploitthe relentless growth in theglobal demand for food, under-pinned by its grass-based pro-duction systems and its ability

to build its presence on bothnew and established markets”.

The prospects for Irish dairyexports in 2014 remain broadlypositive with global demand

likely to help clear any increasein output. Global stock levelsand the relative strength of theeuro will largely determineprice prospects.

AurivoNEWSLETTEr 7January20146

AurivoNEWSLETTEr 9January20148

TArGET NiTrOGEN APPLiCATiON rATES PEr MONTH OFYEAr FOr DiFFErENT STOCKiNG rATES (units per acre)

LU per Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Totalhectare

1.50 23 28 20 19 901.75 24 36 21 21 14 1142.00 28 43 34 34 25 1632.25 25 33 44 30 30 30 1922.50 25 44 44 45 30 30 30 248

In general, 1000 gallons of slurry contains 8 units of nitrogen when applied inthe spring. In general, 1000 gallons of slurry contains 6 units of phosphorusper acre and 38 units of potassium per acre.

Dry cow managementAs cows near calving, it is timeto make sure that all the piecesare in place to get off to thebest start to 2014. Issues suchas retained afterbirth, mastitisand poor fertility performancecan all be reduced throughgood dry cow nutrition.

Nutrias 3-point plan tosuccessful calving1) Target BCS is between 3.00to 3.25 at calving. Over condi-tioned cows is as big an issueas underfed cows. What is cur-rent BCS and will cows be ontarget for calving?2) Feeding the correct mineralspre calving is essential in hav-ing the cow right for calving. Isthe precalving mineral provid-ing 20g magnesium/day, nocalcium, a Cation Anion Bal-ancer, sufficient vitamin E andprotected Copper and Sele-nium 3) Feed intakes drop signifi-cantly for the period 3-4 weekspre calving and cows should besupplemented accordingly.Rumen fill can then be an issueand therefore feeding a precalving nut in conjunctionwith either straw or high fibresilage is advised.

Soil fertilityIt is still not too late to carryout soil tests and establish yourfarm soil fertility. Getting soilfertility right can unlock up to

€600 of additional pasturegrowth per hectare per year aswell as the additional savingthat can be made by imple-menting a more cost effectivenutrient management plan.

Your local technical sales ad-visor can assist in getting silageand soil analysis completedand put a plan in place forboth dry cow management andnutrient management plans forthe coming season.

The key factors are: pH, Ni-trogen, Phosphorus, PotassiumSoil test results will give indi-cations of required lime appli-cation.

Phosphorus and potassiumSoil tests indicate P and K levels in index form ranging from 1 to4. The target is 3 for both. At index level 3 applications should beused to replace what is taken off from cropping or grazing. Atindex 4 no application should occur as responses will be low. Atindex levels 1 and 2, application rates should increase to replenishfertility levels. This should be targeted over a number of years toprevent leaching. Soil tests should be retaken every 3-4 years.

NuTriAS DAirY FArM FOCuS

TArGET PHOSPHOruS APPLiCATiON rATES (units per acre)

Soil P Index Stocking rate (LU/ha)

< 1.5 1.5-2.0 2.0-2.5 >2.5

1 24 28 32 352 16 19 24 273 8 11 15 194 0 0 0 0

TArGET POTASSiuM APPLiCATiON rATES (units per acre)

Soil K Index Stocking rate (LU/ha)

< 1.5 1.5-2.0 2.0-2.5 >2.5

1 69 73 77 812 45 49 53 573 20 24 28 324 0 0 0 0

AurivoNEWSLETTEr 11January201410

in advance of the 2014calving season, AnimalHealth ireland hasreleased summarystatistics from the firstyear of the nationalcompulsory BVDeradication programmeand some key messagesfor farmers in 2014.

HEADLiNE FiGurESFOr 2013• 0.68% of calves tested werePI.

• 11% of herds had one ormore positive or inconclusiveresults; most of these herds hadno more than one or two PIanimals.

• 6.7% of PI calves had a PIdam; the remainder were bornas PIs due to infection of theirdams in early pregnancy.

• Over 9,000 PIs identified in2013 are now dead, but 3% ofherds have retained PIs.

KEY MESSAGES FOrFArMErS FOr THE2014 CALViNGSEASON• Tag calves and submitsamples to a designatedlaboratory in a prompt andtimely manner.

• Ensure the correct postage is

applied. The minimum postagefee for submitting tags throughthe postal system (even for onetag) is €1.05.

• Provide AHI with a mobilephone number to keep thecosts of the programme downand speed up the receipt ofresults. Contact the BVDHelpdesk on 076 1064590 toupdate number.

• Take follow-up confirmatorytests (blood sample or tissuetag) 3 weeks after taking a firstpositive sample. If the status ofthe dams of these calves isunknown, they should besampled too.

• Cull PI animals as soon aspossible after being identified,but in any event before thestart of the breeding season asthey are a significant source ofinfection, posing a particularthreat to pregnant stock.

• Test animals that are to beintroduced into the herd forBVD prior to purchase, ifpossible. Purchased stock(including pregnant cattle thatmay be carrying PI calves) andcontacts at boundaries are thebiggest risks for introducinginfection.

NOTICE NO. 13/10

2014/2015 MILK QUOTA TRADING SCHEME –2nd STAGE

NOTICE TO CO-OPERATIVES/DAIRIES AND MILK SUPPLIERS

Applications are invited from milk suppliers wishing to purchaseor sell quota in the second stage of the 2014/2015 Milk QuotaTrading Scheme. Application forms are now available from Co-operatives/Dairies.

The closing date for receipt of applications, which will only beaccepted in the Department’s Headquarters in Agriculture House,Kildare Street, Dublin 2, is Friday 7th February 2014.Quota purchased under the Scheme will be available from 1stApril, 2014.

The Scheme will be comprised of a Priority Pool and a MarketExchange, with the price for priority pool quota set by the Ministerat 3 cent/litre. The maximum quantity that can be purchased fromthe Scheme is 100,000 litres, except by those in the Successor orLost Lease category of the Priority Pool. Sellers who aresuccessful in selling only part of their quotas on the MarketExchange in their Co-op area may have the remainder of theirquotas sold, through a national pool, to buyers in other Co-opareas who have not had their full request satisfied through theirown Market Exchange.

All participants are advised to consult the Scheme’s detailedrules, which are now available from Co operatives/Dairies ordirectly from the Meat and Milk Policy Division of the Department,and on the Department’s websitewww.agriculture.gov.ie/farmingsectors/dairy/milkquotas/milkquotatradingscheme

– Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine,December, 2013.

FOR SALE: 10 P.B.N.R. Jersey cows, in-calf heifers, maiden heifersand heifer calves from milk. Recorded herd. Donegal area. Tel. 086 397 8040 after 8pm.

FOR SALE: Stall work and mangers to suit 14 unit parlour – allgalvanised and easy to re-assemble, 2’ 6” centres. Tel. 086 810 9242.

FREEZE BRANDING: Covering your area now. Late bookings notguaranteed. Contact: Gabriel O’Dowd on 086 267 8236.

FOR SALE: Entire milking herd and 2 ½ year old Spring heifers.Tel. 087 265 2111.

NATiONAL BVDErADiCATiONPrOGrAMME

OVER 9,000 PIsIDENTIFIED IN 2013ARE NOW DEAD, BUT3% OF HERDS HAVERETAINED PIs.“”

NOTiCES

SErViCES & FOr SALE

Be in with a chance ofwinning one of five €50Connacht Gold storevouchers.

Simply return the below form to DairyNewsletter Competition, Aurivo HeadOffice, Tubbercurry, Co Sligo or sendyour suggestions and contact details byemail to news@aurivo.ie by Friday,February 7. Voucher winners will beannounced in next month’s issue.

WiN!

AurivoNEWSLETTEr12

As part of Aurivo’s strategy of building for our future, the co-op’sbrand architecture programme continues into 2014.

Following the successful implementation of the Aurivo corpo-rate brand and Nutrias animal feeds brand in 2013, the focus for2014 is on our stores network. In creating a new identity for ourstores business, the purpose is to create a name that respects ourhistory, reflects our cultural values and build our business for thefuture. Our established stores business will become known asHomeland Agri, Homeland and Homeland Plus.

THE MEANiNG BEHiND THE ‘HOMELAND’ NAME & LOGO

Home: Appealing to ourwidening customer base,urban and rural non-farming,with products and services tomeet their needs.

Land: True to our heritage, aco-operative, providingproducts and services for our valued farmer.

icon: Community, life and continued growth from the land and tothe home.

Homeland coming soon!

€250WOrTH OF VOuCHErSuP FOr GrABS!Answer:

Supplier name:Address:

Contact number:

COMPETiTiON

Q. PLEASE SuGGEST ANY ADDiTiONAL CONTENT YOu WOuLD LiKE TOSEE iN THE MONTHLY AuriVO NEWSLETTEr.