Scientists in New Zealand have discovered that some cows have genes that give them a natural ability to produce skimmed milk and plan to use this information to breed herds of milkers producing only skimmed milk. In future if whole milk can be made to contain unsaturated fats which are good for you then it might mean that people change back to whole milk products. Komorowski noted, however, that although the lower-fat milk may be healthier, it will be interesting to see how much milk the...

Opposition primary industries spokesman Andrew Fraser wants lifetime bans from the cattle industry for people found guilty of cattle theft. He says thieves must be kept out of the industry to protect struggling farmers. Mr Fraser says there have been a number of incidents on the north coast recently. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard...

Wellington, New Zealand - New Zealand scientists are breeding a herd of cows that produce lower-fat milk after the chance discovery of a natural gene mutation in one animal. Milk from the cows is also high in health-boosting omega-3 fatty acids and makes butter that spreads as easily as margarine even when chilled, biotechnology company Vialactia said on Monday. Scientists discovered a cow, later named Marge by researchers, carrying the mutant gene in a dairy herd they were testing in...

Komorowski noted, however, that although the lower-fat milk may be healthier, it will be interesting to see how much milk the cows actually produce. Scientists in New Zealand have discovered that some cows have genes that give them a natural ability to produce skimmed milk and plan to use this information to breed herds of milkers producing only skimmed milk. Ed Komorowski, technical director at Dairy UK says that the New Zealand approach could be used to breed cows that still produce...

But their milk brings the organic dairy farmers 20 percent to 40 percent more for their milk per hundredweight than a conventional dairy operator gets. It's the cow's production of the milk - without any chemical intervention - that makes it organic. The van Tol's milk is nothing like the controversial "raw" or unpasteurized milk, which some consumers demand despite the fact that it can be dangerous. That $24, which includes bonuses for the milk's purity and quality, is about $4 above the...