The program can also adapt a formulation to market conditions such as a demand for high butter fat in the milk. The Focus Feed program is used by the division for about 70% of its dairy-feed business nationwide.
Thanks to this technology, the dairy management consultant (DMC) is able to have time to advise on more than nutrition. It is believed that the DMCs spend about 25% of their time on nutrition and 75% on management issues. It is important for DMCs to help the producers manage such things as cow care and comfort, record analysis, inventory control, environmental appraisals, waste management, and labor and facility management. If all these factors are well managed, the benefits of the nutritional program can be maximized.
This program was born in the Liverpool District in upstate New York as an effort to regain some business lost to private consultants that began to develop custom rations. Since its introduction in that district, Focus Feeds has gone from 26% of the dairy business to 72% and continues to grow. Cargill AND has become the leader in that market. Other large dairy districts like the Pacific Coast District are implementing the program and hoping to obtain similar results.
The Pacific Coast District-Strate2ic Business Unit Analysis
As discussed previously, the Pacific Coast District is predominantly a dairy
district and ranks third among all districts in dairy-feed tons sold. Its largest dairy market is in California, where it has only been present since the early 1980s. In that time, it has been able to capture some market share away from very traditional and established companies such as A.L. Gilbert Company. However, a large amount of potential
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