Marcelo Carvalho and Paul Martin
He directly came with an answer as to why the farmers in California don’t audit: it’s the impact of the costs. The energy costs of a dairy farm in California are two percent of the total costs, while the feeding costs are 52 to 61 percent. Farmers focus mostly on managing the latter. Part of these costs comes from transportation. Sometimes the feed has to be transported over more than 1,000 miles. But transportation is not the main thing farmers worry about. It is the rising feed prices. During the Summit the price for corn went up to the highest ever: US$ 7.92 per bushel (25.4 kg). A consequence of the growing demand for bio- fuel and the floods which ruined crops in the Corn Belt.
Wide range in energy costs
The more intensive a farm is, the more energy they use. Although the energy costs are a small part of the total cost, farmers all over the world can still save money by attending to these costs. Paul Martin gave as an example the wide range in energy costs per farm in California: from 350 Kwh per cow and year up to more than 2,000 Kwh per cow. ‘They get a bill, they know its high, but where it comes from, they don’t know.’ Anna Hall of the National Farmers Union UK said the same. Neither do they know where the costs of energy and water originate from.
There is a lot to win
Efficiency is the key word. There is a lot to win, but at the same time there is a need for new solutions. ‘Give us the measurements’, dairy farmer John Noble said. “If so, dairy farming can be sustainable”, David Ludington from Cornell University in the US adds. He underlined that energy will be more expensive, so the importance of energy management will grow. Also, one of the consequences of expensive energy is an increase in the fertilizer prices. Using manure and being aware of the minerals in it, is a solution here.
Efficiency, testing and conservation
There are already several obvious options for farmers in order to be more energy efficient: using energy efficient equipment (fans, buildings, pumps) and regular maintenance and equipment testing. The conservation of leftover energy also helps.
Methane turned into electricity
Dairy farms are not only users, but also sources of energy. Paul Martin gave an overview of the possibilities from windmills to solar cells and from using hot water to geothermal options. Manure (in combination with other material) is an interesting source of energy in biodigesters. It differs per region whether it is an interesting solution or not. In California the cost is US$ 1,000 per cow, and the farmers don’t make any money from it. In other countries a bio-digester is profitable.
Trucks driving on methane
The methane in the manure can be used for electricity generation, hot water production, but also for direct use as a gas. Compressed it can be used as a vehicle fuel. California will start an experiment on driving trucks on compressed methane gas. If it will become a success in the future depends on the oil prices. ‘We have to find out when compressed methane is competitive’, the Californian director said. Technically it can be done. ‘Already during World War II cars in Europe drove on wood.’ He was very keen on this, because it would give good possibilities to promote dairy farming. ‘We can say to consumers that we provide them with important nutrition and with fuel as well.’ |