1. Tragic Tire Explosion at W Hesketh and Sons Dairy Farm

• Young father Joshua Hardman (23) killed in tire explosion incident

• Farm fined £80,000 for safety violations

• Key safety tips for tire inflation on farms

2. Steel Tariffs Impact on Dairy Equipment Costs

• 25% steel tariffs driving up to 15% increase in dairy equipment costs

• Potential cost increases by farm size:

• Small farms (50-200 cows): $150,000 - $300,000

• Medium farms (201-1000 cows): $300,000 - $750,000

• Large farms (1000+ cows): $750,000+

• USDA’s $500 million emergency equipment purchase program mentioned

3. Trump’s Criticism of Canada’s Dairy Policy

• Overview of Canada’s dairy supply management system

• Ongoing debate leading up to 2026 CUSMA review

• Potential impact on U.S.-Canada trade relations

4. Proposed $230 Billion Agriculture Budget Cuts

• Potential cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)

• Impact on dairy demand: $1 change in SNAP benefits = $0.66 shift in grocery sales

• Concerns about SNAP Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive program

5. CRV’s 2023-24 Financial Report

• Net turnover: €185.4 million

• Operating loss: €4.2 million

• Net loss after tax: €4.1 million

• New breeding value for methane introduced

• Increased supply of homozygous hornless bulls

• Continued development of FeedExcel breeding strategy

E173 Recap of the Top News Stories for the Week Ending February 16th 2025