-October 6,2019-
California Dairies, Names Brad Anderson CEO
Visalia-based California Dairies, Inc. (CDI), the #1 dairy cooperative in the leading dairy state, today announced the selection of Brad Anderson as its next President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 1, 2020. Anderson, who currently serves as the cooperatives Chief Operating Officer (COO), is succeeding Andrei Mikhalevsky, who has served as President and CEO since 2012 and recently announced his retirement from CDI at the end of 2019.
Anderson brings 28 years of experience in the food and beverage industry to this position. Prior to joining CDI, Anderson was Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer at Dean Foods and held positions of increasing responsibility at Sara Lee Corporation, Pepsi Bottling Group and Earthgrains Company.
$102 MILLION FOR DAIRY METHANE REDUCTION
September 18, 2019 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has awarded nearly $102 million in grant funding to dairy methane reduction projects across the state. These projects, part of the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) and the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from manure on California dairy farms.
More specifically, 43 DDRDP projects, totaling $67.4 million; 50 AMMP projects, totaling $31.5 million; and three demonstration projects, totaling $3 million, have been funded. The projects will collectively reduce an estimated 789,536 metric tons of greenhouse gases (MTCO2e) per year.
“The awards allow our dairy families to produce clean renewable energy,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “These efforts promote energy-secure economies, which are long-lasting and important contributions to local rural communities and our planet’s well-being.”
Dairy manure produces methane when it decomposes. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG) that traps more than 25 times more heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide within a 100-year timeframe, which contributes to global warming. Dairy digesters help capture methane emissions use them to produce electricity or natural gas.
Changing manure management practices so that manure is handled in a dry form (AMMP) also helps to significantly reduce methane emissions.
Nonfat milk prices highest in 5 years
Nonfat dry milk powder prices are up this fall to the highest level in some 5 years. The commodity is a staple for export and a large potion the milk processed from Central California dairies.At the CME powder hit $1.13, highest since March 2, 2015.
The rise in powder prices reflects an overall increase in the milk checks for California farmers this year with California’s All Milk price at $18.70, up 10 cents from July and $2.85 above a year ago.
A key factor in the rise is tightened world supply the includes” China’s voracious appetite for imported milk powder that has trimmed global stockpiles” according to one report.