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

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

Organic Upland Beef and Sheep Production

The technical guide addresses the issues relevant to the organic beef and sheep sector, acknowledging the questions that are frequently directed to the technical ‘Helpline’ of Organic Centre Wales. It draws on the experience of the ADAS Research Farm at Pwllpeiran and is intended as a guide for those with an interest in organic beef and sheep production production. This guide is in three interrelated parts. The first part deals primarily with technical issues of grassland and beef and sheep management, and provides practical information for farmers on key factors influencing the performance of the system. The upland organic unit at ADAS Pwllpeiran in mid-Wales was set up in 1993 to examine the feasibility of organic beef and sheep production in the hill situation. The organic unit at Pwllpeiran ADAS research farm located in the Cambrian Mountains Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) of mid-Wales has 237.5 ha, of which 111 ha achieved full organic status in 1995 and a further 126 ha was added in 2004. There is a suckler herd of Welsh Black cows and a breeding flock of Hardy Speckled Face ewes and Texel crosses. Annual average rainfal at 300 metres was 1765 mm, compared to over 2500 mm at 550 metres. Between 1993 and 2001, work focused on the feasibility of organic livestock production in the hills. With EAGGF Objective 5b funding, the unit was compared with the rest of the farm in terms of grassland productivity, livestock and financial per formance. Since 2001, the focus has been on key problems for organic upland farmers, particularly livestock health and welfare. Methods of internal and ectoparasite control, feeding to organic standards and maintaining the quality of forage by reseeding upland pastures have been investigated. Part 2 is a review of the financial performance of organic beef and sheep farming in Wales, provided by Andrew Jackson, of the Institute of Rural Sciences, University of Wales Aberystwyth. It is based mainly on two DEFRA funded studies: • Data for organic farms extracted from the main Farm Business Survey in Wales • A four year project focusing specifically on organic farms, drawing on all Farm Business Survey data collected for organic farms across England and Wales as well as independently collected data. From these data, it is possible to derive whole farm income data, gross margin and cost of production data to give an overview of the economics of organic dairy farming in Wales for the latest recorded financial periods (2004/05) The third and final part consists of 2 farmer case studies, which put many of the issues discussed in parts 1 and 2 in the context of individual farm businesses. We are grateful for the co-operation of Blaen y Nant and Cannon Farm

Market Review of the Organic Dairy Sector in Wales, 2007

In the UK, in January 2006, the total area of organic and in-conversion land was 619,852 ha. This represents a decrease of 8% compared to January 2005. In Wales, in January 2006, the area of fully organic land increased to 5% of the total area of agricultural land. The number of organic producers and growers, including those in-conversion, increased from 618 in 2003 to 688 in 2006. Organic producers represent approximately 4% of all farmers in Wales. Welsh organic producers represent 16.6% of the UK total number of organic producers and growers. UK organic milk production increased from 17 million litres in 1997/8 to over 300 million litres in 2005/6. In Wales, in 2005, dairy and milk products represented 26% of the total gross product of Welsh Agriculture. In March 2007, according to data supplied to ADAS by certification bodies, there were 86 fully-organic dairy producers in Wales and 12 in conversion. This represents 4% of the total number of dairy producers in Wales. In 2005, an estimated 50 million litres of milk were produced on 108 organic farms with ca. 9,500 dairy cattle – the number of holdings is higher than the ADAS 2007 figure, but some may have been in suspended conversion due to the lack of a market, or have subsequently withdrawn from milk production. The 12 producers who started conversion in 2006 will supply an estimated additional 12 million litres/pa of organic milk when converted. There has been a marked increase in requests for OCIS advice from dairy farmers. These increased from 4 in 2004 to 71 in 2006. Key challenges facing organic dairy farmers in Wales include milk price, forage production and optimising milk from forage. The UK dairy sector holds the second-largest share of the organic market with an estimated £294m sales at retail level in 2005 and 22% of the overall organic market. The majority of organic milk enters the liquid market. Organic dairy consumers are primarily ABC1. They have diverse shopping habits, use a variety of retail outlets and want information to assist in purchasing decisions and to justify price premiums. There appears to be a positive correlation between increases in sales of organic milk and dairy products and the publicity given to research findings about the health benefits of organic milk. Sales of organic liquid milk in the UK grew from 73.8 million litres in 2004 to 158 million in 2006. Because of increased demand, the UK market moved from oversupply to seasonal undersupply. Projected growth in demand, if fulfilled, will create new opportunities for producers willing to convert. Key market drivers identified by stakeholders were publicity on the health benefits of organic milk, animal welfare concerns and increased interest from major retailers. Main constraints on the development of the organic dairy market were under-supply, lack of promotion, distribution issues, seasonality of production, increased feed costs and lack of processing facilities. The main strategies needed to develop the organic dairy market identified by stakeholders were co-operation, increased conversions, consumer education, a higher profile for organic food and long term supply chain agreements. The Welsh Organic Dairy sector has seen considerable product innovation since 2003. Recommendations 1. A joint effort by the whole organic dairy industry is required to plan ahead to ensure that the number of dairy farm conversions will not lead to a repetition of the oversupply problem experienced in the past. 2. Consideration should be given to setting up an Organic Dairy Sub-Group in Wales. 3. The numbers of farms converted and in-conversion needs to be accurately monitored. 4. Advice and technical knowledge on organic dairy farming needs to be made available through Organic Centre Wales. 5. The industry needs to look into ways of encouraging more organic cereal and alternative protein crops to be grown in order to prevent the shortage of organic feed. 6. Continued research is needed to address the issues identified in this report. 7. It is important that organic dairy farming research should be continued at Ty Gwyn, Trawscoed. 8. There is a need to continue to increase the public awareness of organic farming and agriculture as a whole. 9. Welsh branding of organic products should be developed. 10. The Welsh organic dairy industry should examine ways of increasing sales particularly through outlets other than the multiple retailers

Associations between depressive symptoms and disease progression in older patients with chronic kidney disease: results of the EQUAL study

Background Depressive symptoms are associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with end-stage kidney disease; however, few small studies have examined this association in patients with earlier phases of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We studied associations between baseline depressive symptoms and clinical outcomes in older patients with advanced CKD and examined whether these associations differed depending on sex. Methods CKD patients (>= 65 years; estimated glomerular filtration rate <= 20 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) were included from a European multicentre prospective cohort between 2012 and 2019. Depressive symptoms were measured by the five-item Mental Health Inventory (cut-off <= 70; 0-100 scale). Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to study associations between depressive symptoms and time to dialysis initiation, all-cause mortality and these outcomes combined. A joint model was used to study the association between depressive symptoms and kidney function over time. Analyses were adjusted for potential baseline confounders. Results Overall kidney function decline in 1326 patients was -0.12 mL/min/1.73 m(2)/month. A total of 515 patients showed depressive symptoms. No significant association was found between depressive symptoms and kidney function over time (P = 0.08). Unlike women, men with depressive symptoms had an increased mortality rate compared with those without symptoms [adjusted hazard ratio 1.41 (95% confidence interval 1.03-1.93)]. Depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with a higher hazard of dialysis initiation, or with the combined outcome (i.e. dialysis initiation and all-cause mortality). Conclusions There was no significant association between depressive symptoms at baseline and decline in kidney function over time in older patients with advanced CKD. Depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with a higher mortality rate in men

Advisory Tools for Use in Organic Farming

Advisory tools are an invaluable aid for advisers in providing farmers with the necessary information for analysis and planning of all aspects of the farm. The review of Advisory Tools provides access to and a comprehensive list of all the templates, calculators and analytical tools available to organic advisers, covering the nutrient managment, business, soils and animal husbandry. The review identifies relevant research and development, the tools developed and draws on farm and advisory experience of using advisory tools, The review summerises the tools available for advisors providing a brief description of the tool and its use

Dyslipidemia and risk of renal replacement therapy or death in incident pre-dialysis patients

Abstract Globally the number of patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT) is rising. Dyslipidemia is a potential modifiable cardiovascular risk factor, but its effect on risk of RRT or death in pre-dialysis patients is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the association between dyslipidemia and risk of RRT or death among patients with CKD stage 4–5 receiving specialized pre-dialysis care, an often under represented group in clinical trials. Of the 502 incident pre-dialysis patients (>18 y) in the Dutch PREPARE-2 study, lipid levels were available in 284 patients and imputed for the other patients. During follow up 376 (75%) patients started RRT and 47 (9%) patients died. Dyslipidemia was defined as total cholesterol ≥5.00 mmol/L, LDL cholesterol ≥2.50 mmol/L, HDL cholesterol <1.00 mmol/L, HDL/LDL ratio <0.4, or triglycerides (TG) ≥2.25 mmol/L, and was present in 181 patients and absent in 93 patients. After multivariable adjustment Cox regression analyses showed a HR (95% CI) for the combined endpoint for dyslipidemia of 1.12 (0.85–1.47), and for high LDL of 1.20 (0.89–1.61). All other HRs were smaller. In conclusion, we did not find an association between dyslipidemia or the separate lipid levels and RRT or death in CKD patients on specialized pre-dialysis care