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International Farming Projects We are working on a variety of interesting animal projects around the globe. Here is a round up of our latest work:
THE AZORES Azorean agriculture produces upwards of 25% of the total milk output for Portugal. The volcanic soils, high rainfall and grass based system require farmers to provide high levels of mineral and trace element supplementation to their livestock. In the past few years a group of vets have been recommending the use of Agrimin trace element boluses as a means of providing this supplementation. Amongst other benefits, recent trial data from The Azores has shown a significantly higher rate of weight gain in animals given All-Trace boluses.
IRAN Surprisingly, if you were to see pictures of the Iranian countryside you could be mistaken for thinking that they had been taken in France or Turkey. Green fields, woodland, mountain pastures and gushing streams are all common features in Kashan, Mazandaran and Gilan. Agricultural output in Iran is expanding rapidly and grazing livestock commonly require supplementation with trace elements and minerals. Agrimin and their Iranian partners are completing the process of licencing their product range for importation into Iran and expect to be on the market there within a few months.
NIGERIA A leading livestock nutritionist is currently working with the owners of large nomadic herds that roam across large parts of northern Nigeria, Mali and Niger. His view is that these cattle would benefit from the long-term supplementation but there is little facility in a nomadic herd to carry supplements in, say bag, block or bucket form. Boluses, on the other hand, are ideal, as, when they are given to the animal, the animal itself becomes the carrier.
BELARUS Very large, mixed livestock and arable units in Belarus are trying to take advantage of high world prices by increasing the quality and level of production. Buying in large amounts of inputs means that on-farm storage of these inputs is unavoidable. In some cases, security of storage sheds and barns is not all it should be and a large quantity of inputs goes 'missing'. Feed and feeds supplements are no exception and managers are looking at ways of trying to reduce the loss of valuable inputs. One idea is to use Agrimin boluses on the grounds that once the product is given to the animal, it is 'stored' in the animal and cannot be stolen.
NEW ZEALAND Hugh Jellie, from the Dairyconcepts group, is a New Zealand veterinary consultant who is firmly backing the Agrimin product range. Following trials and Hugh's advice, 20,000 milking cows in a 14-farm dairy group across North Island, are now provided with Agrimin boluses. Mr Jellie said: "The cows in the dairy are all seasonal supply, which means they are dried off about the end of May and then calved-down in the spring of July to September. Winter management in large herds in New Zealand is a time from which many of our spring problems arise, as cows tend to be grazed off-farm where the farm manager does not have tight control over their feed intake. I chose to use the Agrimin boluses because the trial work showed they could cover us with good levels of essential trace minerals through our key challenge periods. Results to date confirm this to have been a justifiable decision, and we will also be using them in replacement young stock once they reach 150kg."
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