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Dick is a 6th generation dairy farmer, his 200 strong herd of Holstein and Jersey cows have been on the farm for generations and the farming methods have barely changed. His relationship with the cows and his understanding of their physical and emotional needs mean higher bovine welfare.
The cows are grass fed, they graze on the pastures in the summer. Dick saves and stores the grass for the long winter which just about gets them through.
In this industry, bovine mastitis is the biggest reason for administering antibiotics which is mostly due to intensive milking. In order to avoid mastitis and the introduction of surplus antibiotics in the cows’ diet, he milks them 6 days a week, resting the cows for 24 hours.
This means his yield is less but his milk quality is high and puss levels are low. This contributes to higher level of nutrients and proteins in the milk and a better, more natural, life for the cows.
The global milk price is very low, it’s a devalued commodity, margins are miniscule, milk costs more to produce than it is worth and only government subsidies are keeping the milk industry afloat.
Supermarkets treat milk as a loss leader, dairy conglomerates don’t act in interest of the farmers, meaning that farmers are barely surviving and are not innovating or making investments in new technologies or digitalization.
The dairy industry probably has the most to benefit from the blockchain, and Dick is the cream of the crop, his product stand out.
He creates a block on the blockchain, he adds all his information which includes:
Dick’s milk is higher in quality and higher in proteins, his milk could fetch a higher price if locally sold bottled or bulk sold directly to a cheese or cream producer.
Once he is established on ChefChain he could search the blockchain for connections, he could use the QR code to place onto his bottles to show the provenance of his product and get the margins he deserves. He could look for cheese makers and send them his data to get that higher price per litre he is looking for.
He could also use the blockchain to start a movement, with a group of farmers he could use the power of the blockchain to drive a collective bargain or enter new markets.
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