Two producer forums have been held (June 22, 2006 and May 29, 2007) to identify critical issues facing the Southern Great Plains dairy industry. Producers or their representatives from New Mexico and Texas were in attendance, as well as representatives from Texas AgriLife Research, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, West Texas A&M University (WTAMU), Texas A&M University (TAMU), USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Texas Tech University (TTU), New Mexico State University (NMSU), Tarleton State University (TSU), Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVDML), the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA), Dairy Producers of New Mexico (DPNM), Texas Association of Dairymen (TAD), Dairy Farmers of America, Enviro-Ag Engineering, Select Milk Producers and DairyMax. A brief description of the major issues identified at both of these forums are provided below.
The major issues were identified by the private-sector participants and were generally divided into eight broad categories: environmental quality, production issues, dairy products/quality safety, economics and marketing, human resource development, water utilization, available resources for industry, and energy resources. These eight un-ranked major issues and sub-issues of high importance to the rapidly-expanding dairy industry in the Southern Great Plains are summarized as follows:
- Environmental Quality
- Regulations and permitting
- Water issues: quality, quantity and protection
- Facilities and waste management/alternative uses
- Air quality compliance & abatement
- Sustainable acreage, water and nutrients
- Training, regulators/inspectors
- Mortality management
- Dairy Production Issues
- Reproduction
- Fresh cow transition
- Digestive disorders
- Calves, health/disease management
- Heat stress management
- Animal welfare issues
- Biodefense
- Ruminant nutrition: feed efficiency, forages, mycotoxins, distiller's grains, etc.
- Distiller's grains - managing variability
- Feed sources for organic dairies
- Replacements - calves, heifers
- Feedstuff mix with water limitations
- Johne's disease
- Dairy Products/Quality/Safety
- Sediment in milk
- Efficiency of cheese manufacturing
- Components - protein, fat, solids-nonfat
- Somatic cell issues
- Antibiotics
- Ropey (stringy) milk
- Transportation costs
- Economics and Marketing
- New processing plants, efficiency models (transportation)
- Balancing supply & demand
- Alternative marketing - organic, dairy beef, cheese, etc.
- Maintaining markets - communication, perception, & image
- Profitability and risk management
- Communication/teamwork
- Economic impact analysis
- Supply/demand projections
- Human Resource Development: training, retention, education & communication
- Entry-level employees
- Mid-level management
- Owners/managers
- Industry professionals - consultants, vets, regulators
- Online training materials
- Efficient communication with producers
- Human resource costs/benefits
- Housing
- Community services
- Immigration
- Water Utilization: tradeoffs and economic impacts
- Water marketing/sales
- Processing plants
- Water resource protection guidelines
- Conservation strategies & water use efficiency
- Forages/feedstuffs alternatives & sustainability
- Water planning
- Available Resources for the Industry
- GPS database of industry - location, number of cows, feed supplies, etc.
- Research resources/facilities - proposed Tarleton dairy, cooperative programming, multiple-use facilities
- Service laboratories - diagnostics, feed, analytical (environmental, milk, etc.)
- Energy Resources
- Renewable energy, biofuels, etc.
- Energy costs & efficiency
- Impacts on profitability - efficiency & price estimates
