| 12/03/07
The latest NMR Annual Production Report, for the year ending September
2006, shows an improvement in average fat percentage, and a stabilising
of protein percentage, after a period of decline in milk constituents.
In the Holstein breed, which represents 92% of NMR recorded lactations,
average fat is now 3.87% – back to the 01/02 level. Although
only a small proportion of recorded herds, Island Jerseys show the
largest increase in fat during the past 12 months with an increase
of 0.08 to 5.14%, followed by 0.03 increases in Jerseys and British
Friesians, bringing their levels to 5.32% and 4.09% respectively.
Average protein in the Ayrshire, Montbeliarde and Meuse Rhine Issel
have increased by 0.01, 0.03 and 0.01 respectively with all other
breeds holding their 2004/05 levels except the Guernsey, where average
protein has dropped by 0.03.
Milk yields have continued to increase with the biggest improvement
seen in the Jersey breed where the average has risen by 100kg to
5,481kg – a rise of 1.9%. The Holstein average has increased
by 0.7% to 8,270kg. The second highest yielding breed is the Brown
Swiss with an average of 7,225kg – an increase of 70kg on the
previous year.
There has been a significant increase in the number of Jerseys recorded
with NMR –up from 2.3% to 2.5%. There is also an increase in
Brown Swiss, MRI and Montbeliarde, all of which included crossbreds.
The somatic cell count average for all NMR recorded herds increases
for the second year running and is now 197,000 cells/ml. In the main
dairy breeds, with 0.5% or more of recorded lactations, average somatic
cell counts have increased in the Holsteins, now averaging 198,000,
Jerseys and Shorthorns, whereas drops have been recorded in the Ayrshires,
Guernseys, British Friesian and Island Jerseys. The lowest average
among these breeds is the Ayrshire with 173,000 cells/ml.
Customers can get access to national and their county rankings by
contacting NMR on 0870 1622547 for their unique PIN number. Producers
without access to the Internet can request a simple printed format
of national tables and their county.
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