Thread by @sarnchos

This is a thread on what entails in milk production globally. My source is stated below.

Processes in dairy production are as follows:

1. Rearing
2. harvesting
3. storing
4. transportation
5. lab testing
6. processing
7. packaging
8. selling

milk.procon.org/view.resource.…

Most of the social media brouhaha on this topic is fixated on 1 above. Rearing of cattle.

While rearing is a key aspect of dairy production, direct rearing is estimated to account for less than 20% of the jobs in the entire sector.

Cattle rearing also involves feed cultivation

Those who grow the food that cattle eat often have very little contact with any of them

Cows in some dairy farms wander around & eat fresh grass (i.e. grazing).

In other farms, they are fed grain, hay, or silage (conserved forage) & remain all day in close quarters known as

concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), some of which house thousands of animals.

A concentrated animal feeding operation is an animal feeding operation in which over 1000 animal units are confined for over 45 days a year.

They are heavily regulated by the authorities

Because such close proximity of animals could often lead to a spread of disease

Many large dairy farms utilize growth hormones & antibiotics during the rearing process to artificially increase a cow's milk production & to decrease spread of infectious diseases among their cows

2. Harvesting

Cows are normally milked at least twice a day.

Milking time takes about five minutes per cow depending on the type of machine and the amount of milk the cow is producing.

Most dairies have enough machines to milk more than 20 cows at one time.

3. Storage

Milk is usually stored on the farm at 39 degrees Fahrenheit, or colder, for no more than 48 hours.

Vats and silos are agitated to make sure that the entire volume remains cold and that the milkfat does not separate from the milk.

Novel technologies such as solar refrigeration can be employed for rural farms where electricity is epileptic or absent.

CBN funding can help with this

After milk has been collected, storage vats and stainless steel pipes are thoroughly cleaned before the farmer milks again.

4. Transportation

Milk is collected from the farm every 24 or 48 hours.

The tankers that are used have special stainless steel bodies which are heavily insulated to keep the milk cold during transportation to the processing factory.

Milk tanker drivers are accredited

milk graders, qualified to evaluate the milk prior to collection.

Tanker drivers grade & if necessary reject milk based on temperature, sight, & smell.

A representative sample is collected from each farm pickup prior to being pumped onto the tanker.

After collection, milk is transported to factory sites and stored in refrigerated silos before processing.

5. Testing

Farm milk samples are tested for antibiotics, milkfat, protein, bulk milk cell count & bacteria count. If milk doesn't meet quality standards it is rejected.

Farmer's are paid according to quality & composition of milk.

6. Processing

Whole milk, once approved for use, is pumped into storage silos where it undergoes pasteurization, homogenization, separation, and further processing

7. Packaging

Milk is ready to be packaged for delivery to the stores

The milk travels through pipes to the automatic packaging machines that fills & seals the milk into paper cartons or plastic jugs

As the containers move through the assembly line, a date is printed on each

Step 8 - Selling

After packaging, the milk is finally ready for the customers, and it is stored in a big, refrigerated room until it is delivered to stores to be sold

Fresh refrigerated milk should be consumed within 4 - 6 days of milking.

As can be seen above, the biggest challenge in the milk value chain is actually rearing, harvesting and safe storage of the milk in good quality.

Steps 4 - 8 are handled by the milk manufacturers who have access to the capital required for optimal development of local capacity

What we should be focused on is how to empower livestock farmers with the capital, skills and optimal equipment to deliver good quality molt to the manufacturers for processing.

I've also read the argument that our local breeds cannot deliver the quantity of milk required

Once we can adequately ranch our cattle & procure their optimal feeds, it will be easier to maintain crossbreeds of the local variety with the high milk producing HolsteinFreisian cattle that will do the job

The cause of nomadic proliferation is the collapse of the feed industry

Many farms in Nigeria already have the required cattle we need.

More can be purchased from south Africa.

Businesses are already grabbing this golden opportunity with both hands

Best of all, the unsold milk can be recycled back to the livestock industry to feed baby animals.

The development of the milk industry will contribute to the reduction in beef prices because it will make livestock rearing more profitable for the farmer.

Milk to a livestock farmer is just like eggs to a poultry farmer.

Elderly cattle can then be slaughtered for their meat.

Jobs to be created in the industry

1. Animal feed scientists
2. Silage farmers/producers
3. Veterinary doctors
4. Ranch hands
5. Truck drivers
6. Lab scientists
7. Factory hands
8. Logistics workers

Etc