Adding Value to Organic Milk Production Systems: opportunities for marketing meat and milk from dual purpose breeds

There is growing demand for and supply of organic milk. This results in more organic steers being produced. Many organic steer calves are sold to non-organic producers or are destroyed at birth. This is a serious issue for the organic dairy sector. This report also provides an overview of the current situation of the meat from the organic dairy sector, identifies opportunities for improving the marketing of organic dairy steer calves and provides a special focus on the use of dual-purpose breeds. Dual-purpose breeds were more often used in the past. Some organic dairy producers have returned to using dual-purpose breeds such as the MRI (Maas Rijn Ijssel) and the Shorthorn. Stakeholder interviews showed that the high milk price makes the dairy farmers focus merely on milk production and not on finishing the steer calves. Rearing calves for 12 weeks on organic milk, lacking infrastructure/ buildings and shortage of land seem to be the main barriers for organic dairy producers to finishing organic dairy steer calves. The Red Meat Industry Forum has stressed the opportunities for finishing organic dairy steer calves as organic beef demand continues to outstrip supply. Case studies show that by using dual purpose breeds in an organic dairy farming system there is a small reduction of the litres milk produced but also a reduction of the total costs (by reducing the replacement costs). It is shown that the Profitability of an organic dairy system using dual-purpose breeds can be similar or slightly higher. In addition, the profitability of finishing dual-purpose steer calves seems to be interesting. Recommendations 1. There is more research needed about the economics of finishing dual-purpose steer calves. 2. Information about systems using dual-purpose breeds should be widely spread. 3. Finishing organic dairy steer calves should not be seen as a temporary solution to producing/ finishing organic beef. There is a need to develop a permanent solution/market 4. Awareness needs to be raised amongst organic dairy producers about opportunities of finishing of organic dairy animals, as there is little knowledge amongst the organic dairy producers interviewed about the market and price for organic meat from the organic dairy sector

Organic Vegetable Storage in Wales – Opportunities and Constraints

There is a growing interest in buying local produce, but there is insufficient produce available in Wales to meet this demand. One problem is lack of storage. Much organic vegetable produce in Wales is lost by poor storage. ADAS has undertaken this study on behalf of Organic Centre Wales under the Farming Connect Scheme, to assess opportunities for improving storage and increasing the available quantity of Welsh vegetables. The number of organic vegetable producers in Wales in 2006 was estimated to be 118 (Horticultural Network, 2006). The main crops stored in Wales are potatoes, carrots, squash, onions, cabbage and celeriac. Many factors may contribute directly or indirectly to suitability for storage, these include length of life in store and quality of the crops in store. Costs of storage are perceived to be high but investment in storage facilities can increase turnover and maximise marketable potential. The majority of growers in Wales use field storage due to its simplicity, but there are disadvantages to field storage. Alternatives to field storage include indoor and outdoor clamps and cold storage. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. Recommendations • A joint effort by the whole organic fruit and vegetable industry is required to increase the amount of organic produce produced within Wales. • Processing and Marketing grants for improvement of storage for SME and or cooperatives are required to increase the amount of local produce produced and sold in Wales. • Research is needed into the economic feasibility and issues involved with setting up and running storage facilities using alternative energy • The practicalities and costs of using biodegradables needs to be investigated • Best storage practices should be establishe

The development of a purification procedure for Peptide:n-Glycosidase A from Prunus amygdalus : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biochemistry at Massey University

Peptide-N4-acetyl-β-glucosaminyl) asparagine amidases cleave the amide bond between N-linked glycans at N-acetylglucosamine and asparagine, liberating intact oligosaccharide chains from glycoproteins. Although PNGase A is commonly used by glycobiologists for removal of N-Iinked glycans from plant sources, much less is known about it than about PNGase F, an enzyme that is more commonly used for deglycosylating proteins. New studies on PNGase A have been initiated, with the aim of carrying out complete biochemical and structural studies in order to determine the substrate specificity, isoelectric point, primary, secondary and tertiary structures. Comparisons will then be made with PNGase F, whose three-dimensional structure is known. The first step in these studies is therefore to obtain some pure protein and amino acid sequence. Although purification protocols have been published previously, it was difficult to produce a homogeneous preparation following these methods and they have hence been modified. The methods used are described in Chapter 2 and the results of four preparations, using almond meal and almond emulsin as starling materials, are reported in Chapters 3-6. Although PNGase A had not been purified to homogeneity, an active band excised from a native gel and analysed by SDS-PAGE showed four major bands. Which band represents PNGase A remains to be determined

Livestock breeds and Organic farming systems

Organic livestock farming has grown in Wales in recent years. It is focused on producing animals from a predominantly forage-based system, with an emphasis on maintaining animal health through improved welfare and a reduction in the use of routine, conventional veterinary treatments. Breeding and feeding are important factors of the health and welfare of farm animals in organic systems. The guidelines of EU regulation (EC) 1804/1999 address the issue of sourcing of (breeding) stock. Moreover, only activities such as the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and embryo transfer are excluded, and few provisions are included that concern breeding. A number of breeds used in conventional farming could be considered as ’high maintenance’ animals requiring regular, prophylactic veterinary treatments and high-energy concentrated feeds to meet their potential. Such breeds may be unable to fulfil their potential performance under an organic system. A number of breeding strategies are outlined briefly, including traits that are important for organic production systems. Sire reference schemes have been introduced on organic farms in recent years. There is an increase in conservation grazing. Some breeds adapt well to these systems; especially local/native breeds since they utilise lower quality feed, are more resilient to climatic stress, and are more resistant to local parasites and diseases. Several actions are being, and have been, undertaken to maintain breed diversity. However, the need for a genetic pool of breeding stock from which to select is not reflected in the national strategies for livestock production. A Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) report (Yarwood and Evans, 2002) identified 18 breeds of sheep and 3 breeds of cattle associated with Wales. Several surveys have shown that, on organic farms, the Suffolk, Lleyn and the Texel are the main sheep breeds. The most popular beef breeds on organic farms are Welsh Black, Charolais crossbreed, Limousin, South Devon crossbreed, Aberdeen Angus and Hereford crossbreed. On organic farms, more native breeds seem to be used than on conventional farms. A few of these breeds are further discussed. Consumer demand is a significant driver of policy and standards, and value for money is still a major factor in determining consumer buying behaviour. The demand for lean meat and for homogeneity of both fresh and processed products, particularly in the major supermarkets, impacts on breeding policies. Research has shown that Welsh consumers prefer organic Welsh meat and milk. Economic viability of beef, sheep and milk production depends, in many cases, on subsidies. An increasing number of breed societies in Wales and the UK have become involved in promoting their breed as a brand. However, a recent Welsh survey showed that 13% of organically-produced lambs were still being sold as nonorganic due to finishing specifications (41%), a lack of organic market outlets (54%) and other reasons (4%), such as a lack of organic abattoirs (OCW, 2006). As market requirements are standardised and allow for little differentiation, some traditional and rare breeds face marketing difficulties. Furthermore, loss of small-scale abattoirs can reduce the ability for differentiation of breeds to enter niche markets. Large-scale abattoirs use standardised methods, which do not allow for differentiation. As mentioned in a report from DEFRA (2006), the national strategies for livestock production do not reflect the need for a genetic pool of breeding stock. Although breeding has to focus on what the market wants (mass or niche market), other factors also have to be taken into account. The choice of breeds/breeding used in the organic livestock sector needs to ensure the profitability of the farm, safeguard animal health and welfare, focus on conserving genetic diversity, and promote human health. The various breeds outlined in the report show various benefits. It is important to conserve, develop and utilise local breeds that are genetically adapted to their environment

Dynamic and Competitive Effects of Direct Mailings

We propose a dynamic direct mailing response model with competitive effects, where purchase and promotion history are incorporated. We then map the dynamic competitive interactions amongst the firms sending the mailings. We investigate the short- and long-run impact of a direct mailing on the revenues of the firm sending the mailing and on the revenues of its competitors. The model accounts for unobserved heterogeneity across households. We estimate the model in the charitable giving setting, as sending direct mailings represents a large part of charitable fundraising activity. Households often receive direct mailings of different charities within a short period of time and competition is highly relevant. We construct a unique database by merging the databases of three large charity organizations in the Netherlands. This results in household level data on the direct mailings received and the donations made by each household to each charity. Our results show that charitable direct mailings are short-run complements, that is, the direct mailings tend to increase the total pie that is divided among the charities. At the same time, the charitable direct mailings are long-run substitutes. In the long run they fight for a piece of the pie that households have available for charitable giving.Competition;Dynamics;Direct Mailings

Does Irritation Induced by Charitable Direct Mailings Reduce Donations?

Charities mainly rely on direct mailings to attract the attention of potential donators. Individuals may feel irritated by these mailings, in particular when they receive many mailings. We study the consequences of perceived irritation on stated behavior and on actual behavior. Target selection by charities likely results in good donators receiving many mailings and hence they might also be most irritated. Therefore, irritation with direct mailings might be endogenously determined. To create exogenous variation in irritation, we design a unique controlled field experiment in cooperation with five of the largest charities in the Netherlands. Our analysis reveals that direct mailings do result in irritation, but surprisingly this affects neither stated nor actual donating behavior.direct marketing;field experiment;charity donations;irritation