Re: BST, scale or sector bias
Alan Furchtenicht (FURCHT@macc.wisc.edu)
Mon, 19 Jul 93 13:51 CDT
From: IN%"DAIRY-L@UMDD.BITNET" "Dairy Discussion List."
To: Multiple recipients of list DAIRY-L <DAIRY-L@UMDD.BITNET>
Subject: Re: BST, scale or sector bias
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1993 13:21:53 -0500
From: howard@CALSHP.CALS.WISC.EDU
Reply-To: "Dairy Discussion List." <DAIRY-L@UMDD.BITNET>
Sender: "Dairy Discussion List." <DAIRY-L@UMDD.BITNET>
Subject: Re: BST, scale or sector bias
To: Multiple recipients of list DAIRY-L <DAIRY-L@UMDD.BITNET>
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Steve Washburn has made some outstanding points. I would submit
that dairy farmers in general are not stupid. I believe they have made
decisions over the years here in Wisconsin to enhance their economic well
being. The standard of living has improved sharply during my 26 plus years
on a majority of the farms.
Wisconsin continues to have winter on a regular basis. This means
that we have to harvest feed for the winter, seasonal grazer or not. About
half of the dairy farms in Wisconsin have little future. Their milk yield
per cow is at about 12,000 lb. Their production per cow is about 7,000 lb
below that of the herds enrolled in one of the DHI production testing
programs. I don't know of a business enterprise where one could do well
economically with half the competition selling 50-60% more product at the
same price. The lower producing half has two or three long term options:
1. Leave dairying; 2. Continue to dairy until their equity has been
exhausted; 3. Make the changes needed to become competitive in the
industry.
I don't understand where some of the so-called sustainable ag folks
come from in not being in favor of normal and proper supplementation of
cows on pasture. It may be that they do not understand the enterprise.
W.T. Howard
W. T. Howard
Dept. of Dairy Science
UW - Madison