Notebook: The Dairy Industry

These are notes taken while in lecture (2nd hour) on February 5th, 2009.

- The export market is very important to the industry.
- Prices are determined by supply and demand for dairy products worldwide.
- Regarding current milk price, the Feb. Class I cost suffered a ~$5 loss since last year.

Lately, the dairy industry has had to put a lot more of its product in storage. The melamine scare has caused harm to the dairy industry.

Today there are about 200,000 too many cows in the dairy industry (too much milk is being produced).

In the U.S., demands are expected to continue to grow. Regional shifts are occurring in the U.S.; larger herds will influence the market. In PA, agriculture is the number 1 industry (~1 of each 6 people is employed in agriculture). The top 6 commodities in PA: dairy products, cattle and calves, mushrooms/ agaricus, corn, greenhouse/ nursery, chicken/ eggs. The average number of PA milk cows (annually) is about 550,000.

Milk in PA is produced primarily in the southeastern part of the state. PA ranks number 5 in the U.S. in total milk production. PA also ranks 4th in cow numbers and 15th in milk production per cow.

MILK SAFETY
- milk is one of the most monitored foods!
- the primary control of milk/ milk products is carried out by State officials.
- the FDA regulates the use of animal drugs and feed additives
- FDA also establishes regulations for safe residues in milk.

Control of milk safety:
- Somatic Cell Counts are done to measure mammary gland inflammation
- Legally, there should be a max of 750,000 cells per mL.
- Bacteria counts are also done and the limit is 100,000 per mL.

ORGANIC MILK PRODUCTION
- ruminants must be let to pasture for a certain percentage of the day

Note to self: see slides for more info.

LACTATIONAL PHYSIOLOGY
- cows with BST in their milk have higher milk production
- BST is bovine somatotropin (growth hormone)
- BST is naturally occurring
-- recombinant BST is a genetically engineered duplicate.
-- this recombinant is made using the same technology that is used to make insulin.
-- it enhances a cow's natural BST.
-- concerns about the safety of rBST are not scientifically supported.
-- studies have shown that BST is inactive in humans.