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Ag Beat: Honey / Milk / Goat Milk

Honey Production Way Down In California

Honey production in 2012 from producers with five or more colonies totaled 147 million pounds, down 1 percent from 2011. There were 2.62 million colonies producing honey in 2012, up 5 percent from 2011. Yield per colony averaged 56.1 pounds, down 6 percent from the 59.6 pounds in 2011.
In California where fears of a bee shortage have been told colonies were down says USDA, to 340,000 compared to 370,000 in2011.

Even more dramatic was the decrease in honey production in California over the same period declining from 17.7 million lbs in 2011 to 11.9 million lbs in 2012.

Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State where the honey was produced. Therefore, at the United States level yield per colony may be understated, but total production would not be impacted. Colonies were not included if honey was not harvested. Producer honey stocks were 32.9 million pounds on December 15,2012, down 10 percent from a year earlier. Stocks held by producers exclude those held under the commodity loan program.

Record High Honey Prices

Honey prices increased to a record high during 2012 to 195.1 cents per pound, up 11 percent from 176.5 cents per pound
in 2011.
Exports Key For Dairy:

A new report from Rabobank has recommended that product innovation and export markets are key for future dairy industry growth.The Rabobank Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR) group released its dairy industry report “California Dairies: Getting More Moola”.

The report offers insight into how value in the dairy industry could be maintained for the benefit of both producers and processors.Authored by Vernon Crowder, agricultural economist and senior vice president at Rabobank and James DeJong, dairy industry analyst with Rabobank, the report looks at moving the industry more in line with the free market system.The report states that infrastructure investment and different practices are necessary in order to move away from milk marketing orders (MMO), the long standing protection for farmers against unbalanced pricing.Despite refinements over the years Crowder and DeJong state that minimum price formulas and the redistribution of milk revenue to farmers remains the same. The future of dairy farming, they predict, will depend on product innovation and tapping into the value of dairy produce internationally.”There’s a growing demand on the world market for a variety of milk by-products and California dairies need to position themselves to capture that market share,” said Mr Crowder. “California dairies can’t simply continue to produce and market products for the satisfaction of their own domestic market, they really have to think globally.

Since 2008, the export market has started to offer greater possibilities alongside domestic revenues. Rabobank recommend that US farmers follow New Zealand’s lead and tap into markets by tailoring products for exportation.Referencing The Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) as an example of a cooperative that targets good relationships with key export customers, Rabobank suggest that processors need to initiate expansion.

Goats’ Milk With Antimicrobial Lysozyme Speeds Recovery From Diarrhea
Milk from goats that were genetically modified to produce higher levels of a human antimicrobial protein has proved effective in treating diarrhea in young pigs, demonstrating the potential for food products from transgenic animals to one day also benefit human health, report researchers at the University of California, Davis.
The study is the first on record to show that goats’ milk carrying elevated levels of the antimicrobial lysozyme, a protein found in human breast milk, can successfully treat diarrhea caused by bacterial infection in the gastrointestinal tract.
The findings, slated to appear March 13 in the online scientific journal PLOS ONE, offer hope that such milk may eventually help prevent human diarrheal diseases that each year claim the lives of 1.8 million children around the world and impair the physical and mental development of millions more.
Milk Specialties Global Begins Visalia Production
Milk Specialties Global began production from the Visalia plant partnering with Provisions Foods in the former Kraft plant in Visalia.
David Lenzmeier, CEO stated, “Tulare County, California is one of the largest milk producing counties in the US. The ability to produce Milk Protein Concentrates in this county allows us to take full advantage of a fresh, local supply of milk, providing the highest quality Grade A, rBGH-free Milk Protein Concentrates to our customers. We are really excited to be able to meet our customers’ growing needs, and I would like to send my deepest appreciation to our MSG family for all of their hard work in getting our fifth food grade facility up and running.”

The Milk Protein Concentrate market is expanding in the areas of Sports Nutrition, for sustained release and Functional Foods, for protein fortification. Major growth categories include: ready-to-drink nutritional beverages, Greek yogurt, sports nutrition powders, processed cheeses and chocolates and candy.

Suvash Kafley, Director of Research & Development says, “With the growing demand of milk proteins and micellar casein, we have dedicated our Visalia, CA facility to Milk Proteins Concentrate and Isolate production. We will also be making native micellar caseins and low-grit micellar caseins, as well as caseinate replacers for creamer applications. The plant can produce high quality liquid or powder milk protein concentrates and isolates in less than 24 hours, allowing us to provide an estimated 1 million pounds each month, of milk protein concentrates and milk protein isolates to the market place, in order to meet current demand.”

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