In order to ensure continuous technical progress and with the aim to maintain an acceptable level of economic efficiency, modern dairy farming requires a number of services. Evidently, the individual dairy farmer is not in a position to perform those highly professional services on his own. Therefore, to an ever increasing extent he relies on collective action taken by organizations and institutions created by the community of dairy farmers for their own benefit and for the advancement of the dairy Industry within the context of national economy

Israeli dairy farmers enjoy the advantages offered by the spirit of cooperation omnipresent in Israeli farming and society since the onset of modern colonization. Bearing in mind the socio-economic structure of Israeli farming enterprises, such as the Kibbutz and the Moshav, it should not come as a surprise, that practically all services to dairy farming are based on cooperative organization and action. These are rendered on a non-lucrative basis and clearly tend to contribute to limiting the cost thereof. This fact notwithstanding, there is a price to be paid for those services, indispensable to modem dairy farming, and Israeli dairy farmers shoulder the financial burden conscious of the necessity and confident in the efficiency of their own organizations.

Before entering a description of services and their respective cost to dairy farmers, attention is called to the fact, that all prices are calculated in terms of "milk-value", i.e. the price to be paid according to the value of milk on the day of effective payment. In years past, the upheaval caused by inflationary pressures of variable intensity brought about the adoption of milk-values as the only "liquid currency", applicable to the material interrelationship of dairy farmers and their organizations. A brief description of services and yearly dues is given here below.

Yearly dues are applicable as outlined below, either as It/ year per female of breeding age (ICBA, A.I. coop's), or per female of the dairy herd (HACHAKLAIT). However, in order to facilitate the comparison with other dairy countries or organizations, the approximate equivalent per dairy cow is given in parentheses. It is assumed, that with each hundred cows in a given herd about 45 heifers of breeding age will be kept, on a yearly average. Obviously, in herds with a different cormposition of age groups, the parenthesized value would be different, too. The same goes for HACHAKLAIT, where the dues are fixed with respect to the number of all females in a given herd. It is assumed, that for each hundred cows, about 75 female young stock of all ages will be kept, Should there be a higher or lower percentage of female young stock, as related to the number of cows in a certain herd, then the parenthesized value would have to be adjusted, proportionally.

Israel Cattle Breeders' Association (ICBA), represents dairy farmers and their interests; maintains the Israeli Holstein Herdbook; performs milk-recording in affiliated herds and operates the central laboratory for milk testing; promotes and organizes export of live cattle, frozen semen and embryo transfer on behalf of its affiliated members; maintains computerized and technical advisory services for dairy herd managernent, machine milking and general planning; publishes technical and scientific periodicals, advertisements, etc.

Artificial Insemination Cooperative (Sion), provides complete A.I. services to all affiliated herds at a fixed price independent of bull or number of services needed per pregnancy; maintain respective bull studs and laboratories; sell semen and A.I. services to non-members; operate a common frozen semen bank and ET unit, the latter mainly for programmed mating and the creation of new test bulls.

The composite dues for ICBA services, inclusive of Herdbook activities and milk-recording, and for artificial insemination are collected by the two A.I. cooperatives from all dairy farms, proportional to the number of first inseminations actually performed. It is of utmost importance to point out, that all herds are charged with above mentioned dues, regardless ot their being affiliated to ICBA or official rnilk-recording. Since all herds profit equally by the genetic progress being made through Herdbook activities, breeding programs and milk-recording, it is felt that every dairy farmer should also share some part of the financial burden.

Mutual Society for Clinical Veterinary Services and Livestock Insurance, provides complete clinical veterinary services inclusive ot all necessary pharmaceuticals; insures livestock against losses. dues: 87 It/ year per female ot the dairy herd (= I40 It/ year per dairy cow), not including cost of drugs, which are charged at cost price.

The Israel Dairy Board, an institution with public interest, promotes milk and dairy products; is instrumental in the allocation of quotas to milk producers; conveys farmers' contributions to research; conducts the National Service for Udder Health and Milk Quality, inclusive of maintaining the respective laboratories. levies 0.06 NIS/ year for every liter of milk produced and received by dairy plants (app.. 540 It/ year per cow).

Thus, in the final analysis, organized dairy farmers support the activities of ICBA, A.I.Cooperatives and HACHAKLAIT by way of paying the monetary equivalent of =-280 It/ year/ cow, while the entire milk production in Israel is taxed to the tone of 4.3% of its monetary value, for the benefit of the production and promotion of rnilk and dairy products, investment in dairy plants and research.