Milking longer with maize silage
This season's dry conditions have made one thing clear: not having enough feed on hand can bring your season to an early close.
The categories have been finalised, the schedules have been sent out, and it's now time for cheese makers across the globe to get their entries in for this key industry competition.
The Global Cheese Awards, which are hosted by the annual Frome Cheese and Agricultural Show, are open to everyone in the cheese industry, from the smallest specialist producers who use unique recipes handed down over generations, right through to large creameries and major manufacturers.
This important dairy industry event will be held this year on September 7 in Somerset, UK where judging will take place and trophies are presented to class winners. Organisers want to see more entries from Australia and New Zealand.
It will build further on the unprecedented success of the 2011 Awards, which saw a spectacular 60% rise in entries, and attracted suppliers, retailers and manufacturers from across the UK and, for the first time, internationally.
The Global Cheese Awards are now firmly established as one of the UK's most significant calendar dates for all those involved in the cheese and dairy industry.
Competition chairman, Nigel Pooley, is keen to build on last year's success and raise the bar even higher in 2012.
"We're totally committed to maintaining the momentum this year" he says. "We are encouraging more retailers to compete for these prestigious awards, and new producers from overseas, too. And we hope that the outstanding range and variety of traditional artisan cheeses, the cornerstone of this great show which is now in its 151st year, will be greater than ever."
If you would like to enter a cheese for The Global Cheese Awards, simply visit www.globalcheeseawards.com and fill in the online form. The deadline for submissions is August 8 2012.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.