Tour B2, 30 June: Tour leaders: Erik Poulsen , journalist and political adviser at the farmer’s association Fjordland, twice awarded IFAJ’s Star Prize for Broadcast as editor of LandTV Jacob Jensen, Communications Consultant, DLG Group Friendly cows, more milk and cheaper meat VikingGenetics was established in 2010. It is owned by 20,000 dairy farmers in Denmark, Sweden and Finland. VikingDenmark holds 50 per cent of the shares while Växa Sverige and Faba in Finland each own 25 per cent. R&D is a keystone of VikingGenetics. Sexed semen and genomic selection are ap - plied. The newest project is CFIT, Cattle Feed Intake System. Data is collected throughout lactation without disturbing daily routines and the cows’ natural behaviour. CFIT uses 3D cameras and artificial intelligence to identify the cows, esti - mate their weight and quantify how much they eat. The cameras record the individual cow’s distinct colour pattern and body shape. Feed consumption per animal is quantified 24/7-365. The goal is to have more environmentally friendly cows with higher milk and meat yields at a lower cost. We will see the system in action at Søren Rønbjerg’s dairy farm near Give. 15 VikingGenetics sells 3.2 million doses of semen annually, including 2.1 million doses in the three home markets, and the rest through daughter companies in Australia, UK and Germany plus local distributors in 50 countries. CFIT monitors individual cow behaviour 24/7-365. Danish coop, largest market in Germany DLG Group is Denmark’s largest agribusiness company with a revenue of 51 billion DKK. DLG was formed in 1969 by merging several regional coops, the first of which was founded in 1898. Today, DLG is present in 18 countries, primarily in Europe. Agribusiness, Premix & Nutrition, and Energy & Retail are the three core areas. With a revenue of 33 billion DKK, Germany is by far DLG’s largest market. However, DLG is still owned by Danish farmers. En route to Give will be an interesting visit focusing on sustainability. After the above- mentioned visits we will continue to the annual farm fair Landsskuet in Herning. See page 14.
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