JERSEY CATTLE SOCIETY MEMBERS SECTION
Area Clubs and Members Summary of Meeting of
the Board of Directors at Stoneleigh
25th & 26th October 2011
The Chairman welcomed new Board
members, Joanne Stubbs, John Dickinson, and also Jim Dickinson
who was previously been co-opted.
As it was the first meeting of the new Board year, a Strategy
and Priorities session was held on the evening of 25
October. This debated:-
Positives and negatives of both the breed and Society; Board
member aims during their tenure; essential factors for successfully
achieving these goals
For the Jersey cow, its attributes compared with other breeds
and its ability to produce milk solids efficiently were identified
as major benefits; while cull and bull calf values, along with
limited stock numbers for future expansion are constraints
The Society must continue to build on its professional image
and provide value for money; at the same time it is a small cog
in the industry wheel and needs to relate to and involve breeders
ever more, while improving the planning of its youth and industry-wide
activities
Aims of Board members are to continue the business expansion
for the Society, ensuring the long-term future of the Society;
ensure the Society’s relevance to commercial breeders especially
through encouraging the growth of the breed through greater use
of UK Jersey genetics
Key factors for success are stimulating the increase of Jersey
milk sales and ensuring the Society provides the resources to
achieve its goals
Board Meeting 26 October
Board member responsibilities
The President
reminded all Board members of their responsibilities and duties
as trustees of a charity and directors of a limited company
Director Disqualification
Nothing to report, currently, from
Companies House, as Society seeks to have a debtor disqualified
Social Networking
Already set up for Youth;
there are over 290 members on Facebook. Discussion on website
led to agreement that it is to be updated more regularly with
aim of making it more interactive
Rules & Codes of Conduct Working Group
Chairman and Field
Services Manager are checking all the bulls and grade animals
each week
Accounts The Treasurer advised the meeting of bank balances and
long term investment values
September management accounts circulated meeting informed that
the donation of profit from Nordic Semen to UKJ completed and
Gift Aid value will be claimed in January 2012. Semen stocks
will be reviewed at the February 2012 Board
2012 Service pricing
The Chairman and Field Services Manager had a meeting with HUK
to discuss the proposed price increases, and were disappointed
that HUK appear unable to grasp any cost savings from ‘home
printed’ certificates and the increasing use of the internet.
Having carried the cost of one fee increase from HUK in recent
years, and reduced the cost of registrations, the Board agreed
unanimously to increases for all registration services from 1
January 2012
All other fees will remain unchanged.
Details to be published in the Breeders Brief
Society Accountants
The Treasurer reported on the three accountants visited, summary
was distributed with the agenda.
The shortlist consisted of:-
Old Mill
Kendall Wadley
Cowen
The importance for the Society to have correct and up to date
advice regarding Nordic Semen and any other Society subsidiaries
was stressed.
The message from all three was that the Society needs to ensure
it maintains its charitable status and to demonstrate the ‘public
good’ provided.
Old Mill were unanimously approved.
New Members and Resignations
24 new member
applications were approved.
Pavilion Farmers Fayre are handling breakfasts
at the weekly market and dealing with the bookings, this arrangement
is working very satisfactorily
Heifer breeding complaint
Field Services Manager requested to review the Society Sales
Rules before the Co Secretary responds to a breeder, requesting
that a settlement is reached with a commercial purchaser
Member survey responses
39 responses received.
The survey highlighted demand for farm walks; it was proposed
that regional Breeder meetings take place. Due to a noticeable
increase in numbers of members in N Ireland it was suggested
that the first of these meetings takes place there in April,
in conjunction with a Board meeting.
Livestock Agency
It was agreed that better co-ordination
of export opportunities should be explored and a similar scheme
developed to the Cogent Breeding semen agreement. Report to the
next meeting
J & G Forum
The request from the Forum to
be incorporated as a legal entity within UKJ was debated and
unanimously accepted. Guidance of the new accountants is to be
sought
A conference to launch the objectives of the TSG to retailers/processors
through the media is proposed for early 2012
Reading University research
Project has funding
of £49.5k
over three years from three sources
The M & S ‘Healthy Milk’
marketing
initiative was discussed and the fact that the majority of milk
sold as semi-skimmed will meet the national average saturated
fats, i.e. below 69% saturates, was noted. Monitoring of Jersey
milk is on-going
Animal dates of birth
The Board agreed to take
a proposal to HUK / CDI User Group requesting that milk records
are cancelled from the pedigree database where the milk records
and BCMS passport birth date are anomalous
The Chairman reiterated the past Board decision for bona fide
milk recording services to be used for the UKJ Herd Competitions
British Cattle Breeders Club Conference
There
will be two speakers of significance for UKJ Breeders
Jersey All Britain Award
Entry forms to be
available on request or from the website. A new class for In-calf
Heifer to be added. Entries to close 13 January 2012. Peter Prior
responsible for circulating entries to Full Panel Judges for
judging
Dairy Event and Livestock Show National All Breeds Show
A
letter from the Event veterinary surgeon was circulated. Recommended
that a letter should be sent thanking her. Chairman, Chairman
of Judges and Field Services Manager to attend a forthcoming
meeting regarding the 2012 Event. Mike Stiles (Waverley), USA,
invited to judge the 2012 show.
Disciplinary
The Board accepted with regret
the need for the Disciplinary Committee to meet twice. Findings
to be published in the Breeders’ Brief
Judges Conference
To be refreshed with Peter
Prior to explore workshops in the north and south
Youth
The next Youth Board meeting will discuss
a Terms of reference which are required, including election/rotation
of members. To be reported to UKJ Board for February meeting
Classification of Heifers' Udders
It was
agreed that Jerseys classify better 4 months after calving than
older heifers. Calving at a young age, combined with high milk
volume expectations is to be researched as a potential cause
of udders blowing
Visions
2 bulls have been bought by Cogent,
and a number of farms have agreed to contract bull mothers. Cogent
are looking for 4-6 young bulls per year. All UKJ members are
to be encouraged to use the young bull semen and classify their
heifers.
Cell counts, Fertility Index and Life Span are all going to play
a major role in the future for bull selection.
The finding of the JH1 genetic defect through genomics was discussed.
All results from tested animals to be made available to breeders
Next meeting
Wednesday 15 February 2012 Agenda
items to Adela Booth by 30 January
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