Summary of December 2023 AJCA, NAJ Board Meetings
The fall meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ). Boards of Directors were held November 1 and 2, 2023, at the Hilton Garden Inn-Airport, Louisville, Ky. Actions are summarized below.
Finances. Financial statements for the AJCA and National All-Jersey Inc. and Subsidiary, All-Jersey Sales Corporation (Jersey Marketing Service) were reviewed. Through nine months, the AJCA reported revenues of $2,562.519 and expenditures of $2,430,257 before the All American. NAJ reported revenues of $481,255 versus expenditures of $479,555. JMS revenues were $95,571; expenditures were $108,725. A net income through September 30, 2023, for all organizations was reported of $97,808 before the All American.
Proposed budgets for 2024 were reviewed. Staff was directed to make revisions to the AJCA budget and have ready by year-end for board approval.
The budget for NAJ was based upon 1,005 Equity investors and All-Jersey Sales Corp. revenues of $178,000. Budgeted revenues for NAJ-AJSC combined were $808,250, with budgeted expenditures of $806,142 were approved.
Market values of investments at September 30 were: Building Fund, $1,465,790; Investment Trust, $1,007,273; Scholarship and other awards funds, $949,436; Jersey Youth Academy, $544,858; and AJCC Research Foundation, $2,669,317.
The Investment Advisory Committee met with investment managers on November 5 to review current portfolios and set investment strategies for 2024.
Redistricting. The AJCA board of directors voted to restructure districts and director terms. A proposal will be presented for three regions with four directors, maintaining a total of 12. Each director will be eligible to serve two consecutive four-year terms. All voting will remain at-large nationally.
Regional and National Shows. The Western National, Pennsylvania All-American (Harrisburg), World Dairy Expo, California Spring Jersey Show and Northeast All-Breeds Spring Show were designated as AJCA regional shows for 2024. Designations are contingent upon enforcement of the PDCA Show Ring Code of Ethics, with all cows subject to ultrasound and milk sample testing.
For the 2024 All American shows, $5,000 was allocated to be divided equally among junior exhibitors.
August 1 will continue to be the date for fall show transfers for junior show eligibility. For a spring national show, April 1, will be the deadline for transfers and registrations to meet the ownership requirement.
Rules of Registration. The board reviewed updates to the AJCA Rules for the Registration and Transfer of Jersey Cattle and approved the revised rules. They can be found on the USJersey website at: https://www.usjersey.com/AJCA-NAJ-JMS/AJCA/AnimalIdentificationServices/RulesforRegistrationandTransfer.aspx.
2025 AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings. The board voted to host the 2025 annual meetings in Lexington, Ky., June 25-28. The hotel headquarters will be Embassy Suites, University of Kentucky Coldstream.
Appointments. Named as associate chairs for the 2024 All American planning committees were Cornell Kasbergen, Tulare, Calif., sale; Joe Rocha, Tillamook, Ore., open show; and Laura Jackson, Boyce, Va., junior activities. National Jersey Jug Futurity chair will be named at a later date.
Calvin Graber, Hurley, S.D., was appointed to the Investment Advisory Committee.
National All-Jersey Inc.
The National All-Jersey Inc., reviewed discussion from the Federal Milk Markeing Order (FMMO) on-going hearing in Indianapolis, Ind.
Staff reported on the five topic areas being covered in the hearing:
• Milk composition
• Surveyed commodity products
• Class III and Class IV formula factors, including make allowances
• Class I base price
• Class I differentials
Twenty-one proposals in the five areas were notices for the hearing.
NAJ staff participated in the hearing on a proposal submitted by the company. The proposal from NAJ was to update the standard component factors used in the Class III and IV skim milk price formulas. These formulas set the Class I skim milk price in all FMMOs and the Class II, III, and IV prices in the four fat-skim orders. The current standards of 3.1% protein and 5.9% other solids in skim milk have not been updated in 25 years even though producers have significantly increased milk components.
The hearing is currently set to reconvene after the start of the new year.
The NAJ board voted to support an increase in subsidies for the Dairy Revenue Production program from 44% to 55% for the third quarter and an increas of 44% to 65% for the fourth and the fifth most distant quarter.
Greg Lavan, manager of Jersey Marketing Service reported on the year-to-date sale activity.
Next Annual Membership Meeting
The AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings will be held June 19-22, 2024, at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place, Springfield, Mass. The National Heifer Sale will be held on Friday, June 21.
Deadlines for President and Director nomination petitions to be filed with the Executive Secretary are April 17 for AJCA (65 days prior to the Annual Meeting), and April 23 for NAJ (60 days prior).
