BST comments
mrayburn@chowan.ces.ncsu.edu
Fri, 23 Jul 93 16:06:48 EDT
Over the last few weeks, I have been reading the comments of
economists, dairy specialists and others regarding BST. I am not
anti-technology, but I do believe there is no "free lunch." BST
is not a "silver bullet" for the dairy industry. No matter what
sized farm operation decides to use BST, there will be a price to
pay.
What are the long term effects of BST use on the cattle? If
cows are approaching maximum milk production now, will they be able
to eat enough (physically and nutritionally) to increase production
another 15% with BST? Will the cost of poorer health (possibly),
shorter productive life (possibly) and additional feed of superior
nutritional quality be offset by additional income from increased
milk production? (In comparison, the 3 times a day milking
technology probably puts less stress on the cow.) My point is, do
the long term benefits of BST for the dairy farmer outweigh the
costs? Is there enough information on these points for the
individual dairy farmer to make a decision on whether or not to use
BST in his or her operation, no matter what the size? A
technological advance may not be the best for everyone, but we need
enough information to decide if we want to take advantage of it.
If the technology has been developed, and is safe, I don't see
how we can prevent people from using it, but we have an obligation
to make sure they understand all the consequences, good and bad.
I am not a dairy specialist or an economist, but I did milk
our family cow for over 10 years and would not have used BST to
increase her production if it meant greater probability of health
problems, shorter productive life, or more expensive concentrates
for her feeding program. Besides, we didn't need any more milk
anyway. Isn't that what each dairy farmer has to decide?
--
Marjorie Rayburn
E-Mail : mrayburn@chowan
Internet: mrayburn@chowan.ces.ncsu.edu
Phone : (919) 482-8431