Feed shortage hurts calf rearers

By NZPA and STAFF REPORTER

Calf-rearers face a severe shortage of milk powder and some suppliers have started importing calf food from Australia.

The combination of a big increase in the number of rearers in the market, higher commodity product prices and manufacturing improvements, resulting in less downgraded product available for calf-milk replacers, means many rearers will be way short of their requirements.

This could also be bad news for many dairy farmers who intend selling bull calves.

One drystock farmer, who has been rearing calves for many years, said his situation had become a nightmare. He had 50 calves to feed but just 15 days' milk powder left.

"I ordered about two tonne on the basis I would take it when I needed it because I don't have anywhere to store it." With demand intensifying, his supplier felt obliged to sell some of that shipment to other rearers.

Wrightson rural supplies manager David Gash said many farmers had been caught out.

Wrightson had imported an alternative milk replacer from Australia that contained a small amount of vegetable protein.

"A lot of our customers have been caught short. What we're telling people is not to get their calves until they have the feed."

Mr Gash expects six tonnes of milk powder this week and a further eight tonnes late next month. "After that there's no guaranteed delivery until September or October."

New Zealand Dairy Ingredients, one of the biggest producers of milk replacer, said demand was well above forecasts for the season, based on advance orders.

General manager Mark Dewdney said a shortage of raw material for making milk replacer had been caused by high international demand and returns for milk powder.

Dairy Ingredients could not guarantee that it would be able to meet future orders.

Kiwi Milk Products general manager Malcolm McCowan said farmers who had not pre-ordered faced a six-week delay. The company was seeking alternative supplies.

Retailers painted the same picture. Anchormart general manager Ian Robertson said the company had limited stock but would not be importing product.

Taranaki Farmers merchandise manager Craig Sole said it had been told to expect a four to six-week delay from the manufacturers.

"We have been able to source limited milk powder supplies from Australia. But that's already gone."

Federated Farmers' Taranaki president Kevin Thomas said with the calf-rearing season just starting, the milk replacer problem could only worsen. With no milk powder, many animals for rearing could be slaughtered.

"I think there will be a lot of disgruntled Kiwi [Dairies] farmers who won't be able to sell their calves and they'll end up on the truck."