7/14/96

Contacts:
Leo Timms, Animal Science, (515) 294-4522
Brian Meyer, Agriculture Information, (515) 294-0706

EDITOR'S NOTE: This release covers results of a study presented in July at the American Dairy Science Association's annual meeting.

TQM HELPS DAIRY PRODUCERS ASSESS DISEASE PROBLEMS IN HERDS

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- By implementing Total Quality Management principles in their operations, dairy farmers in six states were surprised to find out just how much treating their cows for disease was costing them, according to an Iowa State University dairy specialist.

TQM is an organizational philosophy that involves in-depth evaluation and measurement of every step of a job to ensure a quality product. Record-keeping is essential to determine whether things are going well or if changes need to be made.

"TQM's goal is quality every step of the way," said Leo Timms, an associate professor of animal science at ISU. "It helps you look at all the processes and find out what your strengths and weaknesses are. For dairy farmers, the ultimate goal is to improve their decision-making in producing high-quality, residue-free milk for consumers while increasing their profitability."

In a cooperative project involving university dairy specialists in six states, the TQM concept was introduced to 72 dairy farms in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Minnesota, Michigan and Colorado. Timms presented results of the study at the American Dairy Science Association's annual meeting, July 14-17, at Oregon State University.

"We developed records for them to assess their operations," Timms said. "We wanted farmers to have a comprehensive set of records on disease treatments and costs, and the methods they used. It's a way to help farmers be more organized, and evaluate whether treatments are successful or not."

From March to October 1995, farmers kept detailed records, including those on disease incidence and treatment costs. Farmers worked as a team with other farm workers, veterinarians and milk-company representatives. "TQM is a team concept that requires commitment by every one involved in the process," Timms said.

"Before they started the study, the farmers underestimated treatment costs by 42 percent," he said. "Many were clearly losing money because of their inability to monitor treatment success or disease trends on their farms and respond and correct problems as they arose."

After using TQM for six months, a third of the farmers knew exactly what treatments cost them and the rest overestimated by about 5 percent, he said. ""Many were amazed at how much treatment costs them. But they're aware of the costs now. Once they're aware, they can think about change."

In Iowa, 14 of the 17 producers said they'd continue to use TQM. After the six-month trial, many changed the ways cows were treated. One was able to trace a disease problem to feed, and make a change to correct it. Another made changes to keep cows healthier during hot summer weather.

"We think it will someday be mandatory for farmers to keep these kinds of records, so this was a way for farmers to be proactive," Timms said. "TQM gives producers an ongoing way to assess disease and its economic impact. It forces them to define what they want out of their operations and gives them the tools to evaluate, monitor and make necessary changes. It's the tools they need to maximize profit by minimizing the impacts of disease."

Timms is organizing a larger TQM project involving dairy herds in 34 states. The study was funded by a USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service competitive grant.

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