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Extension Services for Quality Milk Production
Proceedings of an International Workshop in conjunction with the East-West-Forum
of the Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Forestry
and the "Window of German Animal Breeding" at the International Green Week
24-25 January, 1999
Session III
Summary of Reports of Session III.
Summary of Reports of Session III.
G. Seeland - Humboldt University of Berlin
Countries in Central and Eastern Europe implement every effort to stabilize
milk production and to attain internationally accepted quality standards.
The establishment of Extension Systems for quality milk production is following
the common pattern in Western Europe and is utilising comprehensive experiences
gained not only in the traditional dairy production systems but also in
the newly established extension system of Eastern Germany which is directed
at large production units as well as at medium sized farm enterprises.
The overriding objective of Extension Systems is always directed towards
improving and securing farm income and profitability. Solid technical expertise
and comprehensive information about the particular technical and economical
production conditions of a farm participating in extension schemes are
clear prerequisites of successful extension involvement. The Extension
staff requires impartiality and independence from commercial supply companies
in order to provide sustainable extension services to individual farms.
Extension services have to be comprehensive and encompass all technical
and economical components of the production process, i.e. milking and cooling
technology, udder health, fodder production and storage, feed ration formulation.
One of the most important experiences in extension services is the
fact that extension is really only successful if the recipient have to
pay for the advice, if the extension office has to sell the services and
find and maintain customers. The organisational linkage of extension staff
is of lesser importance for the success.
In smaller dairy herds most of extension services are provided by semi-official
milk recorders and veterinarians. In larger herds this service is mainly
provided by production specialists and farm management specialists.
In CEE countries the number of specialised dairy farms with high levels
of lactation yields and high quality standards of raw milk delivered to
the dairy factory is ever growing.
In Latvia the break even point of milk production has been calculated
at 6000 kg milk per cow and year, on the basis of a herd with 50 cows.
At present the milk production level exceeds domestic consumption. Export
opportunities are still curtailed by on average low standards of milk quality.
Only 40% of delivered milk is classified as premium quality. Results of
the Extension service for milk quality, organised with Danish assistance,
is already showing positive impact.
The Czech Republic suffers a considerable reduction of domestic consumption
of milk and milk products. For butter the reduction since 1991 amounts
to 33%. Milk is delivered to processing plants on the basis of quality
payment. This has provided a major incentive to producers for improving
quality standards in production, storage and transportation. All of these
improvement activities were implemented at times of tremendous price pressures
due to the breakdown of the Russian market and the influx of high quality
products from the EU market. Extension services in the Czech Republic have
been created as integrated system to provide sufficient interaction between
various components services offered, i.e. milk quality, feed ration calculation
and fodder planning, milk recording and breeding services.
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