Buying standards for milk, both within Australia and internationally, are changing to maximise the profitability of milk processing and to satisfy customers.

There are no technological short-cuts to improve milk quality during processing - the quality of the milk that leaves the farm is all that the processors have to work with. So at the end of the day, it is dairy farmers who must produce milk that meets any new standard–.

Bulk Milk Cell Counts are an increasingly important feature of the buying standard.

High BMCCs have a real and adverse effect on some manufactured products. A recent example of this was in a factory that had difficulty in getting batches of milk to ‘froth’. This was an important feature of one of their boutique milk products sold to make frothy cappuccinos. A detailed investigation found supply with higher BMCC was a contributing factor. To guarantee successful manufacture, the company now rejects milk from high BMCC suppliers.

With cell counts directly linked to farm profitability, it makes good economic sense to lower BMCC in your herd.

It is no surprise that bulk milk cell counts are the currency of milk markets. They impact on the profitability of both farmers and processors. An industry that is viable and competitive has low BMCC and giving consumers a high quality product at an economical price.

Image and Caption

“Processors rely on milk quality - they can’t add it in later”

Countdown Downunder Farm Guideline or Technote
Farm Guidelines page 2 – Countdown’s goals

Keywords
BMCC, milk quality, supply chain

Word length
294