Interview Theodore Bos
'VLOG allowance provides extra income'
Especially in Germany, but also in other places, the demand for VLOG milk is growing. It means that the cows are fed with products without genetic modification. Bel Leerdammer is also stepping into this. It is an interesting milk flow, especially with a high percentage of own protein, says Theodoor Bos, milk supply manager at Bel Leerdammer.
Royal Bel Leerdammer wants to make cheese from VLOG-certified milk. What is that?
"VLOG stands for 'Verband Lebensmittel Ohne Gentechnik' and is a German organization that is responsible for drawing up the rules for the certification and issuance of the 'Ohne Gentechnik' label. The VLOG label shows that food comes from raw materials that are free from genetically modified organisms (GMO† For milk it is decisive that the feed for the cows is GMO-free. Plant material grown in Europe is generally GMO-free. In other parts of the world there is a good chance that this is not the case. For example, think of soy and maize."
Why is VLOG important to Bel Leerdammer?
"Especially the German market calls for products without genetically modified raw materials. Germany is a very large sales market for Leerdammer, so it is important to respond to the wishes of the German customer. In Germany, the VLOG label offers opportunities, but other countries are also interested."
Will all Leerdammer cheese be transferred to VLOG?
"That is certainly the intention in the long term. At the moment we are concentrating on production in our factory in Dalfsen in 2019. Then it is planned to switch over in Schoonrewoerd and to provide all our branded cheese with VLOG milk. "
What does this mean for the dairy farmer?
"The participants receive a bonus of €1 per 100 kilos of milk. In order to be able to supply VLOG milk, the dairy cows must be fed exclusively GMO-free feed for at least 3 months. Dairy farmers take measures to prevent mixing, cross-contamination or confusion. between GMO-free and non-GMO-free feed VLOG-worthy power/compound feed from an animal feed supplier that is VLOG certified."
"Bel Leerdammer only obtains VLOG milk from grazing livestock farmers. The meadow grazing premium is €2 per 100 kilos. Dairy farmers who graze and comply with VLOG receive from the moment of switching to VLOG feed, so a total premium of €3 per 100 kilos Moreover, this premium is paid monthly and not just at the end of the year."
Is a VLOG premium of €1 per 100 kilos sufficient?
"In the past year, we conducted a pilot with 8 dairy farmers (distributed across the Netherlands). Both the pilot and previous research show that the supplement provides additional income. The size of this income depends on the proportion of protein that a dairy farmer in his own country is able to win and is able to deploy effectively. All our pilot participants will continue to produce VLOG milk, partly in view of the net benefit of the supplement."
Can dairy farmers who do not supply Royal Bel Leerdammer also participate?
"Dairy farmers who are not yet a supplier, but who do use outdoor grazing and who want to supply VLOG milk, can also register with us. It is important for existing and new suppliers to register before 1 September. and to ensure that the milk can be processed as a VLOG in mid-2019."
Herman van den Pol
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