Pursuing ideal dairy farming-A dairy farmer's challenge-January 19, 17:25
“I want to make a difference in the way dairy farming works in Japan.”
While covering the impact of soaring prices on local industries, I met a dairy farmer who sought to achieve sustainable dairy farming in the wake of soaring prices of imported feed. I was.
What is his ideal dairy farming like?
(Yamaguchi Broadcasting Station Reporter Shohei Ikeda)
no cows in pasture
Ato Tokusa, Yamaguchi City, is located in the mountains on the border of Yamaguchi Prefecture and Shimane Prefecture.
It is known as a production area of apples that make use of the cool climate.
This time, I visited Funakata General Farm, an agricultural corporation that runs dairy farms in this area.
We raise more than 60 dairy cows and produce about 1,600 kg of raw milk per day.
Around 30 hectares of meadows spread out at the foot of the mountain, creating an idyllic atmosphere.
I imagined cows relaxing in the pasture, but no matter how much I looked around, I could not see any cows.
When I asked how the cows were doing, I got an unexpected answer.
Kenichi Sakamoto, President of Funakata General Farm
: “Basically, we don’t let dairy cows go out into the pasture.
It's a waste to have such a splendid pasture.
When I asked about it, I was told that dairy cows basically spend their time in barns and are fed at least twice a day with "concentrate feed" containing feed grains such as corn and soybeans. .
Concentrated feed has a higher nutritional value than "roughage" such as grass, and is essential for increasing the milk production of cows.
Originally, cows are animals that eat grass, not grain, but increasing the amount of milk is a top priority.
This is the typical style of dairy farming in Japan today.
I want to change the dairy farming style from the ground up
But now, Mr. Sakamoto is trying to change this style from the ground up.
In Japan, most of the concentrated feed is imported from overseas.
However, the price of imported feed is soaring against the backdrop of soaring global raw material prices.
Even Mr. Sakamoto's ranch is under great pressure, with annual feed costs rising by about 10 million yen.
Under these circumstances, I felt doubts about the very nature of dairy farming, which relies on imported feed.
President Kenichi Sakamoto
: "Even if the price of feed goes up, the 'milk price' will not rise immediately, and profits will decline. However, if we do not increase the amount of milk we produce, we will not be able to generate income, so we cannot reduce the amount of imported feed. This puts a heavy burden on the cow's body and makes them more susceptible to illness."
Aiming for full-scale introduction of grazing
What President Sakamoto is aiming for is the full-scale introduction of grazing.
Specifically, the pasture is divided into 10 or more areas, and the cows are released in the area where the pasture is in the best condition.
The aim is to achieve sustainable grazing by systematically managing pastures.
From April this year, fences separating pastures and water supply stations for each area will be installed, and full-scale grazing will start next year.
According to the Japan Grassland Livestock and Seeds Association, grazing only during the daytime is possible if there is 10 to 15 ares of pasture per dairy cow.
It is also reported that grazing reduces the stress of dairy cows and reduces diseases such as mastitis.
It's just that soil preparation is essential to continue grazing.
This is because in order to maintain milk production while grazing, it is necessary to grow grass with high nutritional value to replace concentrated feed.
Mr. Sakamoto is planning to analyze the soil of the pasture and promote soil improvement.
In parallel, he is also growing rice and maize for fodder.
Currently, it is about 12 hectares, but we would like to expand the cultivation area by utilizing abandoned farmland.
The percentage of concentrated feed that Mr. Sakamoto gives to his dairy cows is just under 40%.
We would like to gradually reduce the imported feed for grazing and cultivation of feed crops, and eventually aim for a system that supplies all the feed ourselves.
Self-supplied feed for quality and management improvement
In early November last year, Mr. Sakamoto attended a study session held at a ranch in Shikaoi, Hokkaido.
Dairy cows graze on about 10 hectares of pasture right next to the barn from April to December when there is no snow.
At the study session, the amount of concentrated feed used was reduced by half compared to 10 years ago, as a result of promoting self-sufficiency in forage grass and feed grains with high nutritional value.
It was introduced that the life expectancy of dairy cows, which are said to be about three years after starting milking, has been extended by more than one year.
In addition, by producing raw milk with a "milk fat content of 4.0 or more", we have been able to do business with a major local dairy manufacturer at a higher milk price than usual.
Daiki Nakano, President of Nakano Bokujo
: “The increase in sick cows is the biggest thing that lowers productivity. I wanted to improve that first.I think that imported feed is just to supplement the nutrients that are lacking on our own.Imported feed. Reducing the dependence on dairy farms and aiming for management that is less affected by external factors will lead to sustainable dairy farming.”
Adding value to cow-friendly dairy farming
Mr. Sakamoto is prepared to reduce the amount of milk to some extent, but he is trying to connect the raw milk of cows raised in a natural environment to new business opportunities.
At Mr. Sakamoto's company, almost all of the company's raw milk is sent to its own processing facility to produce milk and cheese.
The dairy products produced are sold not only at the ranch's own store, but also at the directly operated cafe in front of Shin-Yamaguchi Station on the Sanyo Shinkansen.
You can taste soft serve ice cream and cheesecake made with fresh milk directly from the ranch, and it is popular with young women.
We believe that we can differentiate our products from the perspective of animal welfare, which creates a stress-free breeding environment for livestock, and improve the value of our products.
President Kenichi Sakamoto
: “It takes time to establish grazing. We want to secure profits by selling high-value-added dairy products that manufacturers cannot produce.”
Dairy farming in Japan Can it be connected to the future?
Every time I went to interview Mr. Sakamoto, he said, "I want to leave behind a dairy farm that I can be proud of for the children of the future."
Will Japanese dairy farming, which relies on imported feed and pursues efficiency, be able to sustain itself in the future?
I once again felt that the time has come for us, who consume milk and dairy products as a matter of course, to think about it.
In order to maintain Japanese dairy farming, it is impossible to cut off completely from imported feed.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of food security, it is also true that the creation of systems such as self-sufficiency in grazing and feed crops is required.
Mr. Sakamoto's approach may become the standard for dairy farming in Japan in the future.
I would like to continue following Mr. Sakamoto's challenges as he aims to become a future-oriented dairy farmer.
Reporter for Yamaguchi Broadcasting Station
Shohei Ikeda Joined the station in
2015
After working at the Takamatsu station , reports
on issues facing the local economy