Page 21 - Vol.40-No.4 issue

Dairy Farming

Higher international quotations for

vegetable oils, dairy products and meat

more than offset lower quotations for
cereals and sugar

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks By contrast, the FAO Cereal price Index Global cereal utilization in 2023/24 is
monthly changes in the international prices declined by 2.6 percent, averaging 20 per- pegged at 2 828 million tonnes, a 1.3 percent
of a set of globally-traded food commodi- cent below its March 2023 value. The drop increase from the 2022/23 level. World cereal
ties, averaged 118.3 points in March, down was led by decreasing global wheat ex- stocks are forecast to end the 2024 seasons
7.7 percent from its corresponding value one port prices, which declined due to ongoing at 894 million tonnes, a 2.3 percent increase
year ago. strong export competition – underscored by from the outset of the year, pointing to a
The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index led the cancelled purchases by China – among the worldwide cereal stocks-to-use ratio of 31.0
increase in March, rising 8.0 percent from European Union, the Russian Federation and percent.
February and reaching a one-year high as the United States of America. Maize export World trade in cereals is forecast to rise 1.7
quotations for palm, soy, sun"ower and prices edged upwards in March, partly due percent from the previous year to 485 mil-
rapeseed oils all rose. International palm oil to logistical di$culties in Ukraine, while the lion tonnes in 2023/24. International trade
prices increased due to seasonally lower out- FAO All Rice Price Index dipped by 1.7 per- in coarse grains is expected to expand from
puts in leading producing countries and #rm cent amid subdued global import demand. 2022/23, while wheat and rice trade will like-
domestic demand in Southeast Asia, while The FAO Sugar Price Index declined by 5.4 ly contract.
those for soyoil recovered from multi-year percent from February, with the drop mainly FAO also adjusted its forecast for global
lows, boosted by robust demand from the driven by an upward revision to the 2023/24 wheat production in 2024, now standing at
biofuel sector, particularly in Brazil and the sugar production forecast in India and the 796 million tonnes, marking a 1.0 percent in-
United States of America. improved pace of the harvest in Thailand. crease from 2023.
The FAO Dairy Price Index increased for For coarse grain crops, sowing will be-
the sixth consecutive month, up 2.9 percent World cereal output seen up in gin soon in the northern hemisphere,
from February, led by rising world cheese 2023/24 while harvests have already begun south
and butter prices. FAO also released a new Cereal Supply and of the equator. While Argentina’s output
The FAO Meat Price Index also increased, Demand Brief on Friday, raising its forecast is expected to rebound after the drought-
rising 1.7 percent from the previous month, for world cereal production in 2023/24 to 2 impacted outturn of 2023, smaller outputs
with international prices up for poultry, pig 841 million tonnes, re"ecting expectations are expected in Brazil and across Southern
and bovine meats. of greater outputs of maize, rice and wheat. Africa. Circle 28 on enquiry card

MCWF (Amplimune) Shows Potential as a
Preventative Treatment to Reduce Metritis Incidence

in Dairy Cows
NovaVive Inc., an animal health im- and the control group received
munobiology company, announced an intramuscular dose of 2 ml of
that an abstract was presented at the oestradiol cypionate (standard
2024 International Embryo Technol-
ogy Society (IETS) meeting in Denver, prophylactic protocol at the farm),
CO. The abstract is published in the Re- both at 7 days after parturition.
production, Fertility and Development MCWF treatment reduced (P <
journal. 0.05) metritis incidence compared
The abstract summarizes a research
study evaluating the e!ect of myco- with the control group (11.89% vs
bacterium cell wall fraction (MCWF) 19.87%, respectively). There was a
(Amplimune®) on reducing the inci- 40% relative reduction of metritis
dence of postpartum bovine metritis incidence in MCWF-treated cows.
in a high-producing Holstein dairy
herd. Metritis is a uterine disease that Researchers concluded that a
a!ects up to 40% of dairy cows and single treatment with MCWF 7
commonly develops when pathogenic days after parturition shows po-
bacteria infect the uterus after parturi- tential as a preventive treatment
tion (giving birth). to reduce the incidence of metri-
Adult cows that recently calved were tis in dairy cows. Further research
assigned randomly to two groups:
MCWF (Amplimune) (n=184) and is needed to investigate whether
control (n=156). The MCWF group re- the treatment leads to improved
ceived an intramuscular dose of 5 ml reproduction. Circle 29 on enquiry card
Vol. 40 No. 4 19