For 107 cows with a lifetime production of more than 100,000 kg milk, plaques of honor were presented to the breeders at a general meeting of the Simmental Breeding Association FIH in Ried. And the FIH breeders are on the right track, according to Managing Director Josef Miesenberger: 1st place in the ranking of the breeding associations for the implementation of the breeding program, the progress in polled breeding, in which the FIH breeders have taken on a pioneering role – and the development of lifetime achievements are proof of successful work.
The average lifetime production of the cows continued to rise last year to more than 32,000 kg of milk. The progress in this “trait” which is very important for the profitability of milk production is also visible through the large number of breeders who were awarded for a 100,000 liter cow.
Distortions in marketing
The lifetime performance of the cows is not only a parameter for the profitability of milk production or the sustainable orientation of the breeding program, but also for the efficient use of resources and above all a sign that the cows are healthy and doing well, he says the association.
According to Managing Director Miesenberger, however, there are currently problems with the marketing of cattle. While cattle for slaughter have been achieving unexpectedly high prices for a few weeks, the export of breeding cattle is under enormous pressure, not least because of the war in Ukraine.
The value of the cattle marketed via FIH in the past financial year was more than twelve million euros. In addition, there are around 20,000 cattle for slaughter, which are marketed annually from the region via the Austrian cattle exchange. “Cows in milk” are in great demand domestically.
State Councilor Michaela Langer-Weninger and President of the Chamber of Agriculture Franz Waldenberger were also guests at the FIH General Assembly with Chairman Johann Hosner in Ried. Dairy farmers are physically and mentally challenged 365 days a year more than ever in times of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
“For the motivation and survival of the companies, we need a significant increase in the prices for our products given the enormous increase in costs,” says Chairman Hosner. Kay Uwe Götz, Head of the Bavarian State Institute for Animal Breeding, gave a lecture on the services provided by agriculture for society and, above all, by ruminants for human nutrition. He pointed out “that agriculture and society cannot go on as before” because the world has changed. Politicians must actively shape the framework conditions for the transformation process.
Source: Nachrichten
