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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
Quality of Milk in Poland
W. Bros - National Association of Dairy Cooperatives
Dorota Krencik - CSHZ Central Animal Breeding Office
Poland is a country where farming and dairying is traditionally done
on a small scale. A Polish private farm has an average size of 7.9
ha (Table 1). In an average herd about 3 cows are kept, about 80 % of herds
have up to 5 cows and average milk production is 3 325 kg per cow. Only
11 % of the whole cows’ population is under milk recording. An average
size of a herd under milk recording is about 18 cows (Table 2) and they
produce an average of 4 600 kg of milk.
Table 1: Farm size
|
Farm size
|
%
|
|
1-2 ha
|
22.5
|
|
2-5 ha
|
33.9
|
|
5-10 ha
|
24.7
|
|
10-20 ha
|
14.4
|
|
20-50 ha
|
3.8
|
|
over 50 ha
|
0.7
|
Table 2: Average herd size under milk recording
|
Number of cows
|
%
|
|
5 cows and less
|
25
|
|
6-10
|
43
|
|
11-20
|
20
|
|
21-50
|
4
|
|
51 cows and more
|
8
|
But on the other side, we can also talk about a very big scale. We have
3,5 mill cows in Poland, which are kept in 1,3 mill herds, and 800 000
farms supply milk to dairies. The rest of the farmers use the produced
milk for self-supply.
During the last years we could watch changes in the Polish dairy farming
and milk processing as well, but we are expecting more changes during the
coming years.
Numbers presented below are based on 1997 data and on a programme for
restructuring of dairying till 2006, i.e. the eventual date of Poland’s
accession to the European Union.
Table 3: Present and estimated future status of the dairy industry
in Poland
| |
1997
|
2006
|
Number of dairy cows
Milk production
Milk collection
Number of milk suppliers
Number of milk producers with min. 10 cows
Average price of the collected milk
|
3.5
11 600
6 800
800
30
0.58
(0.28)
(0.29)
|
3.5 million
16 000 mill litters
14 000 mill litters
300-350 thousand
300 thousand
1.10-1.20 PLN/litre
(0.54-0.58 DEM/litre)
|
Table 4: Dairy co-operatives
| |
1997 |
2006 |
Total number
collecting
- up to 60 thousand l milk/day
- 60-120 thousand l milk/day
- 100-200 thousand l milk/day
- more than 200 thousand l milk/day |
243
162
34
36
11 |
23
0
0
7
16 |
Except for dairy co-operatives in Poland there are also private dairy
plants. At present, there are 15 big private dairies and this number will
probably not change very much in the future.
Table 5: Production of major dairy products (in thousand tons)
| |
1997 |
2006 |
Liquid milk
Milk drinks
Milk powder
Ripening cheeses and processed cheeses
White fresh cheeses (tvorog)
Butter |
1301
219
161
192
228
137 |
1310
490
204
245
277
155 |
Qualitative requirements concerning milk collected in Poland
Since the beginning of this year, the new requirements for raw milk
have come into force. Although over the next nine months dairies and farmers
have time to get adjusted to these requirements, some dairies, which are
interested in good quality products, demand already to apply them.
General requirements
-
It is prohibited to supply the following milk for future processing:
-
adulterated milk
-
milk from sick cows and from those ones, being under medical treatment
-
after completion of cow’s therapy, before the end of protection period,
recommended by veterinary surgeon
-
later then three weeks before calving and earlier then six days after calving
-
in case of prohibition of collecting milk, issued by veterinarian
-
Criteria for milk acceptance
-
appearance - liquid, having a uniform white colour, with creamy shade,
without visible mechanical contamination
-
flavour - fresh, natural, without foreign off-flavours
-
temperature - up to 8oC
-
acidity - 6.0 - 7.5 oSH, pH 6.6 - 6.8
Table 6: Detailed requirements on milk quality grades
|
Properties
|
Classes
|
|
(Grades) |
| |
Extra
|
I
|
II
|
| Density g/ml no less than |
1.0280
|
1.0280
|
1.0280
|
| Total bacteria count in 1 ml |
100 000
|
400 000
|
1 000 000
|
| Presence of somatic cells in 1 ml |
400 000
|
500 000
|
1 000 000
|
| Residues of antibiotics and other inhibiting
substances |
not allowed
|
not allowed
|
not allowed
|
| Adulteration - dilution with water |
not allowed, freezing point not higher than
-0.519oC
|
not allowed, freezing point not higher than -0.519oC
|
not allowed, freezing point not higher than -0.519oC
|
To fulfil all these requirements dairy plants have to co-operate very
closely with farmers and other organisations connected with milk production.
For example co-operation with Central and Regional Breeding Offices
lets identify cows individually. Farmers whose herd is under milk recording
receive information about number of somatic cell counts from every cow.
This information helps to take decisions about medical treatment or culling
according to an individual cow and improve quality of delivered milk. Farmers
could also take better breeding decisions, because they know milk yield
and contents of protein and fat in milk of on individual cow as well as
their breeding value.
To receive good quality milk, dairy plants have to provide own extension
service and own policy according to the milk price.
System of payment for the delivered milk
System of payment for the delivered milk is one of the most important
tools in receiving good quality milk. In Poland, every dairy plant has
its own system of payment, but elements of different systems are similar.
Below we present an example of one of the bigger Polish co-operatives.
The price of 1 litre of delivered milk is constituted by:
-
Protein content - 0.11 PLN (0.05 DEM) for 1 unit
-
Fat content - 0.04 PLN (0.02 DEM) for 1 unit
-
Bonus for milk quality
-
for Extra grade - 0.30 PLN (0.14 DEM) / litre
-
for Grade I - 0.10 PLN (0.05 DEM) / litre
-
Bonus for an increase in deliveries - up to 10% of the basic price
-
If the delivered milk is adulterated, suppliers are punished by a price
deduction or by a ban on such a milk collection:
-
in case of adulteration of milk with water - the extra-payment to Grade
Extra or I is deducted and delivery is inhibited for the period of 14 days
(if it has happened for the first time) or 21 days (if it happens next
time)
-
in case detection of the residues of antibiotics or other inhibiting substances
in milk - the extra-payment to Grade Extra or I is deducted and delivery
is inhibited for the period of 1 month (if it has happened for the first
time) or 1 year (if it has happened for the second time)
Frequency of test:
-
fat and protein content - every day
-
bacteria number and SCC - twice a month
Activities of dairy co-operatives in favour of the improvement of quality
of the collected milk
Apart from the system of bonuses when paying for delivery of top-quality
milk, dairy co-operatives run a comprehensive activity in favour of the
improvement of quality of the collected milk. Undertaken activities are
similar in different co-operatives but depend on herd size and need advisors
to choose proper tools:
-
direct advisory work in farms and collective consultations for groups of
milk producers (e.g. demonstration of correct milking or cleaning of milking
machines, preparation of silage, etc.)
-
training in the field of correct milking and milk storage
-
training in the field of feed processing and correct cattle feeding
-
granting of preferential credits for the following purposes:
-
purchase of milking machines
-
purchase of refrigerating equipment
-
purchase of equipment and machines of feed processing
-
building and modernisation of cowsheds
-
building and supplying facilities of in-farm milking parlours.
The result of the mentioned activities above is, first of all: constantly
increasing milk purchase in Grade Extra and Grade I, and then visible quality
improvement of the manufactured dairy products like liquid milk, yoghurts,
ripening and processed cheeses, baby food and butter.
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