The deal reaffirms Holstein Canada’s role in performing cattle assessments
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Two national dairy organizations recently agreed to work together for another four years.
Dairy Farmers of Canada and Holstein Canada signed an animal care agreement that will run until about 2022. The deal renews Holstein Canada as the preferred supplier to conduct proAction Animal Care cattle assessments across the country.
The organizations signed the deal on July 27. It comes into effect on Oct. 15.
Holstein Canada representatives visit dairy farms to document herd information including body condition, state of the hocks, knees and neck. Dairy farmers must show Holstein Canada’s report to validators to meet the proAction requirements.
The organizations made public some details about the agreement and its financial implications for producers.
Cattle assessments will cost $7 per cow, plus a $125 herd visit fee, Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) says. Those fees apply to all producers whether they are Holstein Canada’s clients or not.
Farmers will also have almost a month’s notice prior to any assessments.
“Holstein Canada will send a letter to producers three weeks prior to the timeframe an assessor is expected to arrive in their area, advising them of their upcoming cattle assessment,” DFO said. Holstein Canada will then contact producers directly to schedule an appointment.
DFO will also put a schedule on its website to let farmers know when Holstein Canada representatives are in their area.
Continuing with the working relationship benefits those outside of the industry too, the organizations said.
“Holstein Canada is very pleased to continue our well-established partnership with DFC to deliver a key service to farmers, which ultimately serves consumers,” Harry Van der Linden, president of Holstein Canada, said in a July 27 statement. “Our team members are highly trained in animal observation and it is great to have two national organizations work together to deliver a consistent program coast to coast.”
“This step of assessing animals is part of our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement,” Pierre Lampron, president of Dairy Farmers of Canada, said in the statement. “In this day and age, it is essential to demonstrate our world-class standards in producing high-quality milk and meat in a sustainable way.”