Dairy Diary: January business update
What’s NEW in the dairy farming world? We report on a collaboration between Mileutis and Yotvata Dairy to improve milk quality, stand-out dairy innovations, Holstein UK President’s Medal winner, 2 new grants aimed at methane reduction, and a partnership program to drive amino acid balancing formulation in dairy nutrition. This and more.
Mileutis and Yotvata Dairy collaborate to improve milk quality
Mileutis, a biopharmaceutical firm developing biologic alternatives to antibiotics and hormones in dairy, has launched a major scale-up of its collaboration with Yotvata Dairy Farm (Strauss Group, partially owned by Danone) following successful prior trials that slashed antibiotic use and boosted milk quality. The new real-world study expands IMILAC and MILAC therapies across the full lactating cycle of cows, aiming to validate productivity gains, cut antimicrobial resistance, and measure sustainability benefits like lower greenhouse gas emissions. This milestone builds on earlier research showing these peptide-based, milk-derived biologics improve yield, cow welfare, and farm profitability without residues.
Top dairy innovations shortlisted for royal award
Three innovations have been shortlisted for this year’s Royal Dairy Innovation Award. Judging takes place at Dairy Tech on 4 February at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. This year’s finalists are EpiHerd (Antler Bio), which analyzes RNA from 10% of a dairy herd’s blood to assess 27,000+ genes and 15,000 pathways for insights on stress, feed, and disease to boost health, milk yield, and resilience; Milk Source Heat Pump (Arkaya Energy), which cools milk to 4°C while generating 90°C hot water for cleaning via heat recovery to cut electricity use, costs, and carbon footprint; and CowToilet (Hanskamp), which separates urine from feces using a natural reflex for airtight storage, curbing ammonia emissions while improving hygiene, air quality, health, and fitting most cattle sheds’ feeding stations. Holstein UK President’s Medal winner announced
At the Semex International Dairy Conference, Jodie Nutsford from Western HYB was announced as the winner of the Holstein UK President’s Medal. Jodie was presented with the President’s Medal as well as the Sue Cope Memorial Trophy and will have the chance to attend the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto later this year courtesy of Semex UK, the principal sponsors of Holstein Young Breeders (HYB). The application process consisted of a nomination from their club outlining the members’ contribution to the breed, HYB and the dairy industry, as well as an essay entitled ‘Data-driven decision making on farm leads to more productivity, better animal welfare, improved sustainability, and greater profitability’.
Greener Cattle Initiative awards 2 new grants aimed at methane reduction
The Greener Cattle Initiative, led by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and Innovation Center for US Dairy, has awarded 2 new grants to test bromoform – a methane-reducing feed additive – in grazing dairy cows over full lactations. Prof Joe Jacobs (Australia’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action) received $1.86m to assess daily bromoform’s safety, impacts on cows, calves, and milk quality, while Dr Stefan Muetzel (AgResearch New Zealand) received $704k to study pulsed dosing’s effects on rumen microbes, potentially boosting acetate energy production over methane emissions.
Adisseo launches partnership program to drive amino acid balancing formulation in dairy nutrition
Adisseo has launched a partnership program to accelerate adoption of amino acid balancing in dairy diets, addressing farmers’ pressures to boost milk efficiency, herd health, and profitability amid resource constraints. Proven over 30 years to enhance yield, reproduction, and sustainability, the initiative equips feed mills with cost-effective protected methionine sources and formulation tools, while delivering farmers optimised rations that cut nitrogen pollution. Through tailored collaborations, Adisseo aims to make AA balancing a standard, low-risk practice across the dairy supply chain.
New book highlights inequities facing women smallholders in agriculture
A new book, Women and Smallholder Farming: Addressing Inequities in Agriculture, shines the spotlight on the 500 million global smallholders – many women – who face devalued contributions, limited market access, education, and property rights. Drawing from 50+ researchers across 20 countries, it celebrates these farmers’ roles while urging their empowerment as essential for food security and sustainability.
American Dairy XPO announces move
DLG (German Agricultural Society) has announced that the American Dairy XPO, the recently launched trade show for dairy producers in the US and Canada, will relocate to the Exposition Center at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York, for the next edition in 2026. The move will be instrumental to better serving dairy producers in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, while providing the capacity and modern infrastructure for the show’s future growth. The 2026 edition of American Dairy XPO is scheduled for 4-5 November.
ILDEX Indonesia 2026 – the 8th International Livestock Show in Jakarta/Indonesia
ILDEX Indonesia 2026, the 8th International Livestock, Dairy, Meat Processing and Aquaculture Exposition, will open its doors to industry professionals and trade visitor from 16-18 September 2026, and includes all groups of livestock management and meat processing. The show will occupy 10,000 sqm at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition in Tangerang, West Jakarta. At the last ILDEX in 2025, the organisers registered 278 exhibitors and 12,900 trade visitors.
Dairy-Tech 2026 welcomes first-ever Canadian delegation
Dairy-Tech 2026 in the UK, to be held on 4 February and organised by RABDF with Barclays sponsorship, will host a Canadian expert delegation for the first time as part of the Twin Pastures UK-Canada Livestock Innovation Exchange. The Lely-sponsored Innovation Hub panel – featuring Dr Patience Palmer (AI/automation), Prof Suresh Raja Neethirajan (digital twins/sensors for dairy), and Ester DeGroot (CATTLEytics data tools) – will showcase practical AI, biosensing, automation, and real-time diagnostics transforming Canadian livestock systems. This offers UK farmers direct insights into cutting-edge innovations.
Alltech appoints BK Chew as GM (Thailand, Myanmar and Laos) and as APAC key account director
Alltech has appointed Chew Boon Kee (BK Chew) as general manager for Thailand, Myanmar and Laos and as APAC key account director. In this role, he will lead business strategy and operations across the 3 markets, supporting Alltech’s growth in Southeast Asia. BK Chew is a seasoned executive in the animal nutrition and specialty ingredients industry, with decades of experience across the Asia-Pacific region. His career has focused on animal health, gut health, antibiotic alternatives, precision nutrition and sustainable feed solutions. Prior to joining Alltech, Chew held senior leadership roles at several leading global agri-business and animal nutrition companies.
USDA announces Dr Justin Benavidez as chief economist
US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has congratulated Dr Seth Meyer for his years of service and announced Dr Justin Benavidez as the USDA’s chief economist. According to Rollins, Benavidez brings strong policy experience, deep roots in production agriculture, and a clear understanding of the economic realities facing farmers and ranchers. Benavidez, who holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in agricultural economics, previously served as chief economist for the Majority Staff of the US House Committee on Agriculture.
USDA names new leadership of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
The US Department of Agriculture has announced that Dr Michael Watson, APHIS administrator, will retire at the end of January, and Dr Rosemary Sifford, deputy administrator for Veterinary Services and US chief veterinary officer, has recently retired from federal service. Beginning on 1 February Kelly Moore will serve as acting administrator and Dr Alan Huddleston will serve as the acting US chief veterinary officer. Moore is currently acting COO for USDA’s Marketing and Regulatory Programs mission area and acting deputy administrator of Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business Services. Huddleston has expertise in epidemiology and program development, and will represent US animal health priorities internationally and maintain strong engagement with States and industry.
