Updates from Germany – Shows, Sales and more!
Wednesday, April 17th, 2013~report provided by Bruce Jobson
RMV SHOW PROGENY GROUPS POPULAR ATTRACTION
Top quality Holstein cows were on display at the 2013 RMV Show (20th March) at Karow, Germany, with 148 milking animals in total entered. The Supreme Championship was awarded to an 11 year old, 100,000kg daughter of Comestar Leader. Bruce Jobson reports from Germany.
The Karow-based show is organised by the local RMV herdbook and featured four progeny groups sired by German bulls prior to the milking class sections. An impressive line-up totalling 37 progeny test daughters from Tilo, Omega, Nog Mato, and Edway, were paraded in front of a large crowd of international breeders including visitors from the US and UK.
German farmers place strong emphasis on functional type traits as well as dairyness, production and longevity featuring as key criterion. Respected judge Manfred Uhrig, who has officiated at European level, selected the popular THI Blackwhite as his Supreme Champion. The 11 year old, owned by Thoenes Rainer, Kalkar, is sired by Comestar Leader and bred out of a Jolt dam.
THI Blackwhite was fresh with her seventh calf in November 2012 and has production records over 14,700kgs at 3.8% fat and 3.2% protein. The 12 strong fourth lactation and above mature cow class strongly reflected German lifetime production breeding goals. The most impressive and largest class of the day was a split group of 29 milking two year olds led home by BCH Brandy, owned by Rinderzucht Augustin, Baltic Holsteins, Neuendorf.

RMV Show Supreme Champion THI Blackwhite with left, judge Manfred Uhrig
Photo by Peggy Schroeder / Bruce Jobson Associates
SUNRISE SALE TOPS $37,000
An evening auction of elite heifer calves in the European Classics Sunrise Sale (19th March) preceded the RMV Show at Karow. High genomic animals proved popular with CNN Mogul Dehli achieving a top price of 28,500 Euros ($37,000) selling to Italy.
Dehli is descended from the world famous Dellia family with the five month old heifer calf rated the highest genomic Mogul heifer in Germany and second overall Mogul heifer in Europe, and rated fifth highest GTPI calf in Europe. Two other animals realised high prices, Anderstrup Bookem Ellie and Albus Shamrock Ombra at $29,800 and $27,260 respectively. RMV Sunrise Sale average was 7,550 Euros ($9,800) on 24 head.
SCHMALLENBERG LESS OF A PROBLEM

German farmers appear to have weathered the Schmallenberg storm according to Dr Christiane Profittlich, Senior Officer for Animal Breeding and Animal Production, German Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Customer Protection.
Dr Profittlich said, “German farmers went through a very difficult year in 2012 as a result of Schmallenberg virus. This year, farmers are having fewer problems and that may be a result of immunity to the virus. To date, we are seeing fewer cases of SBV and the disease seems less of a problem to cattle breeders.”
GERMAN PRODUCTION EFFICENCY
Dr Profittlich, who has been at the Ministry of Agriculture for the past 15 years, explained the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region is one of 16 Federal German states and has achieved impressive production increases since German unification.
“The region is one of five former East German states and our farmers have increased production and performance levels over the past 20 years. From 1992 -2011, milk yield has virtually doubled and the cow numbers required to produce the quota levels (quota was restructured owing to unification) has decreased from 225,000 cows to 175,000 milking animals. National production average on 2million Holstein cows is approximately 8,800kgs at 4.09% fat and 3.38% protein.
“However, the region is proud of the development of agriculture since unification. The RVM herdbook has helped dairy producers achieve numerous breeding and production goals as well as having helped our farmers develop better systems of management.
“Farms in the Mecklenberg region tend to be bigger in size, having evolved from former East German state cooperated collective farms prior to 1990. Our farmers are well educated and this has helped development across all sections of farming, not just milk production.
“Dairy producers are receiving approximately 33 euro-cents per litre for their milk and traditionally have received a lower milk price than other regions within Germany. Our farmers are therefore used to producing milk cheaper and having larger herds, are able to produce milk more efficiently. It is difficult to predict what will happen once EU milk quotas are abolished in the next couple of years, but our farmers are well prepared for any changes that may occur,” she said.




































































































