Milk from protected cows? crops from protected oxen

[Guest guest]

Hare Krsna.

 

I see that this question has been fully explored, but that the answer to the

problem, though identified has not been properly engineered. ISKCON in its

early trials put milk center stage, putting the cart before the horse, wheras

it is crops which are what earn, meaning using the oxen.

If oxen and crops, not cows and milk, are thus seen as the only way to make a

farm profitable, let alone self sufficient, as is Prabhupada's original ideal,

then really we need to work on CSA All Organic production. This is where I am

at in Argentina. For now, I only want to have a few cows, though my Gurudeva is

still reticent to have then until we can be a productive and profitable

organisation.

 

It is clear that the cow equation has been fully worked and there are really no

more efficiencies that can be put into it. The efficiencies and the bulk of the

work which is needed to be done is in the ox and crops.

Presently, I am working on a raised bed 'asecia' system, with channels filled

with bamboo canes. This system is a permenant one, thus not much use for oxen,

though they can be used to transport the harvest to the kitchen to clean and

pack into boxes for the All Organic direct delivery to the city. But oxen were

never really used for succulent vegetables, they are of use for grains and

legumes in strip agriculture, maybe between nitrogen-fixing trees; this I have

yet to do.

 

So, with this conference I have learnt that the cow and its milk are not to be

used as a business, per se, but as a secondary consequence to the need to

produce oxen to produce grains. Thus, in my opinion, if this conference is to

keep being of use, it must put all its force into the ox/crop equation.

 

Yours in service,

 

Gopananda dasa

 

 

Haribol Prabhu,

 

Phew! What a question.

 

Here is an indication. There are a few things not included

 

In the UK I have calculated that looking after a cow and buying in all the

hay and straw and grain, Repairs and Renewels, Veterinary costs, some

miscellaneous costs will be about 350 pounds sterling per year per

cow/ox/calf.

 

In addition to this you would have to add any building or land costs.

 

The labour for milking cows is extra. We would pay 6 pounds sterling per

hour for milking the cows. You should also add 10% for employers tax to the

government making it 6.60 pounds sterling per hour. I expect that one milk

person per day would be sufficient for a farm calving three a year and

letting the lactations run for 3 years. The number of days to pay for would

be 405 per year (7 working days per week plus holiday cover for the year).

I also expect that milking up to 9 cows and attending to the herding,

cleaning, milk carrying to the kitchens would take about 7 hours per day.

 

For the sake of keeping these calculations simple I have not included any ox

work calculations.

 

Some additional things I would base my calculations on:

a. Average daily lactation for a 3 year lactating cow would be 25 litres per

day per calf. (11 per day first year, 8.5 per day second year, 5.5 per day

third year)

b. Average life of a cow is fifteen years (Loss at birth, accident and

natural mortality)

c. Cow eats 90 bales (25kg each) of hay per year

d. Cow needs 50 bales (20kg each) of straw per year for bedding

e. Three calves per year at average life for fifteen years means a mature

herd of 45

 

Thus a mature herd would cost the following:

(Maintenance cost) + (Milking cost) + (annual costs for land and capital

purchases) = cost per year

 

Maintenance cost = 45 (herd size) x 350 (cost per member in pounds sterling)

Milking cost = 405 (paid days) x 7 (milking time etc per day) x 6.60 (cost

per hour in pounds sterling)

Annual land and capital costs - whew a big topic ???

 

Thus: 15750 (maint cost) + 18711 (milking cost) + Capital and land

= 34461 (pounds sterling) + capital and land

 

 

The milk per year will be something like this: 3 calves per year at 25

litres per calf per day milk production = Average daily milk yield is 75

litres.

 

Thus annual milk yield could be 27375 litres

 

Therefore th cost per litre is = (34461 + land/capital) / 27375

 

If we do not include land and capital the cost to cover production is

34461/25185 = 1.26 pounds sterling per litre.

 

Exchange rate is currently 1.86 dollars to the pound

1 litre is 0.26 US Gallons

 

Finally

2.34 dollars for 0.26 gallons = 9.0 dollars per US gallon

 

Summary

 

Without including land and capital then a gallon of US milk would have to be

sold at around 9 dollars just to break even.

 

Land and capital is vast and depends on whether you are starting with a

current farm or are buying or renting from the start.

 

Hope this is of some help

 

ys syam

 

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