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 Jan. 4, 2008 Source: American Jersey Cattle Association news release Officials of the American Jersey Cattle Association, Reynoldsburg, OH, are calling 2007 "the greatest year in the history," pointing to record or near-record activity in all primary service areas. "It's hard to imagine how 2007 could have been better for members of the USJersey organizations," said Neal Smith, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the AJCA and National All-Jersey Inc., headquartered in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. "The organizations achieved major milestones last year and each of the three companies operated in the black. "Because of the gains made in 2007, we are looking forward to continuing significant expansion in the next three to five years." Identification Services "The AJCA recorded 79,535 animals last year," Smith reported. "That made 2007 the third-best year in our history and the fourth consecutive year that the association has recorded at least 70,000 animals. "We've been in this business for 140 years, and four of the 10 best years in our history occurred in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Over this period, we have averaged 74,176 registrations per year." He added that the AJCA has worked very hard to make it easy for herd owners to identify animals with the association. "We were one of the first registry organizations to make online registration possible. Last year, 65% of all animals registered were processed electronically, the highest percentage ever. "The association also adopted procedures to make permanent ID as easy as using double matched NAIS-compliant ear tags," he added. "A total of 22,426 calves were registered with these tags in their ears last year, and we filled orders for 99,187 units of JerseyTags in 2007." Herd Improvement Services Use of official Jersey performance evaluation programs surged to new heights in 2007. As of December 31, 121,049 cows were enrolled in one of seven programs available from the AJCA, breaking the previous record by more than 8,200 cows. Impetus for this growth was attributed to introduction of the REAP service package in 1995. "When we started bundling registrations, linear type evaluation, milk recording on pedigrees and genetic evaluations with our Equity milk marketing program, the number of cows enrolled doubled during 1998 and had tripled by the end of 2001. "REAP continues to grow to its ultimate potential," Smith continued, "as evidenced by 2007's numbers: 115,653 cows and 781 herds, both all-time records." Linear type evaluation services were delivered to over 60,000 cows for a sixth consecutive year. "Our staff visited 1,010 different herds in 2007 and scored 69,182 cows, second only to the 70,165 cows that were evaluated in 2005." Production Per Cow Sets New Records The official Jersey lactation average increased to 18,391 lbs. milk, 842 lbs. fat, and 655 lbs. protein. On a Cheddar cheese equivalent basis, average yield is 2,208 pounds. All are new category records, as are the 72,094 lactation records processed by the AJCA for 2007. The lactation average is calculated on a standardized 305-day, twice daily, mature equivalent (m.e.) basis. Actual 305-day yield per cow for 2007 averaged 16,539 lbs. milk, 765 lbs. fat (4.6%), and 591 lbs. protein (3.6%). Actual cheese yield was 1,995 pounds per cow, equivalent to a yield of 12.1 lbs. per hundredweight. "Efficiency of production is where the Jersey cow really shines," the Jersey CEO noted, "that, and the fact Jerseys have a well-documented 180-day advantage in Productive Life over the average dairy cow in the U.S." Added-Value Milk, Strong Demand for Jersey Genetics Smith also pointed out that a strong dairy economy was key to the association's 2007 performance. By last October, Jersey milk testing 4.62% fat and 3.58% protein, with premiums, was worth an average of $24.69 per hundredweight across all Federal orders. "The mailbox price for Jersey milk averaged 13% higher than the statistical blend price," Smith said, "with the biggest spread being 21% in the Mideast order. The demand for milk components that pushed milk prices to record heights last year was reflected in unprecedented demand for Jersey genetics. "Dairymen in all parts of the U.S. were looking for, and paying top dollar for quality Jersey cows and close-up bred heifers," said Smith. "Nationally, the average price paid for Registered Jerseys™ at auction increased by nearly $170 per head to set an all-time record of $2,425. "Jersey Marketing Service, which is owned by the members of National All-Jersey Inc., was the country's leading marketer of Registered Jerseys™," he continued. "JMS sold 2,953 lots in 20 different public sales for just over $6.6 million. It also managed the first Jersey auction in U.S. history to achieve a one million dollar gross, at the Ahlem Farms Sale II in Hilmar, Calif., and six of the year's top 10 averaging sales." Positive Picture Continues in 2008 The American Jersey Cattle Association is the only U.S. dairy breed registry organization to record continuous growth over the past 20 years, the Jersey executive noted, and the outlook for future growth is excellent. |
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