Israel is making very rapid strides in its dairy industry and will soon outrank most dairy countries in the quality and production of its dairy cattle, according to Jacob M. Maze, official of the Jewish Agricultural Society, who returned from a three months study of agricultural conditions in Israel.
“Official Israeli tests,” Mr. Maze reported here today, “show an average annual milk production per cow of 10,190 lbs, which is second to the California average of 10,365 lbs, the highest in this country. The U.S. average for cows tested is 9,363 lbs.” He revealed that Israel leads the world in artificial insemination of dairy cows. No less than 80 percent of all cows are artificially bred, he said. In the U.S. recent records show 44 percent for Wisconsin, 32 percent for New York, 30 percent for California and 25 percent for the country at large.
“Before the State of Israel was created, the country had very poor grade cattle,” Mr. Maze pointed out. An Arab cow produced less milk than a goat does at present on a Jewish farm. The remarkable, almost overnight, change was achieved by alert and progressive Israeli farmers who imported first class American and European stock and used the most advanced methods of breeding and care for cows. Over 60 percent of the Israeli mulch cows are American Holsteins and their offspring,” he reported.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.