Small-ScaleDairy Farming Manual |
Volume 1 |
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How much money does the dairy pay for your
milk?
( 1 - 6 ) The dairy pays according to: - quality - quantity. |
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How does the dairy pay for quantity? ( 7 -
11 )
The dairy pays for quantity if
your
milk is high quality.
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How does the dairy pay for quality? ( 12 -
35 )
The dairy pays according to: - composition quality - physical quality and hygiene.
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(Numbers in brackets refer to illustrations in the extension materials) Payment for Quantity and Quality (1-6) The basic points to be considered in a milk payment system are Quantity of the milk -
Volume
Quality of the milk -
Compositional
Dairies use one or more of these for milk payment all over the world. Other conditions such as quotas, contracts or subsidies fit into milk payment systems to satisfy interest groups of dairy farmers or national dairy policies. If only the quantity payment is used, milk producers may adul-terate the pure milk. If quantity payment goes with quality payment, adulteration does not pay back the transportation cost of the extra volume and the inferior quality. This, and fines or punishment, make adulteration tests unnecessary in countries with quality payment. Milk of poor quality makes poor quality dairy products, even with heat treatment or other quality preserving operations. It is advisable to lay down regulations for a premium/deduction system based on tests such as the resazurin test, the methylene-blue test or the alcohol/alizarin test. |
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1 How much money does the dairy pay for your milk? |
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2 The dairy tests your
milk and pays you according to the quality.
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A payment system based on microbiological quality encourages dairy hygiene on the farm. Tests of foreign matter in milk are unsuitable as a basis for milk payment. The sediment test can, however, be used as a valuable advisory test. Special conditions require quality tests, for example, in countries where low cooling on the farm and 2-3 times weekly milk deliveries per farm encourage a microflora of psychrophilic protein digesting bacteria. A normal resazurin or methylene-blue test would give false results if carried out on such deep cooled milk samples. To sort out inferior deep cooled milk the organoleptic test is used and for payment purposes individual milk samples are grown on selective substrates. The number of colonies counted after a predetermined period gives the basis for a payment premium or deduction. |
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5 If your milk is very low quality the dairy rejects it. |
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6 These farmers
all produce high quality milk.
The dairy pays the same for each can according to quantity. |
| Payment
for Quantity
There are in general two different ways of measuring milk. 1. Volumetric measurement (litres/gallons) (1) Dipstick method The dipstick method uses a graduated stick which can only measure the content in containers of equal size. One dipstick with graduations can measure the content of 40 litre cans, but the same stick cannot be used for measuring the content of other types of containers. The most secure method has a special matching container. Measure all milk with the dipstick in the special con-tainer. The dipstick method is mainly used for large quantities of milk in containers such as stationary tanks, rail tankers and road tankers. (2) Container method The container method is mainly used for sales of milk to consumers and for internal work in the dairy. Containers are made either to hold definite quantities of milk such as 1/2 litre, 1 litre or they are made with inside graduations, from which the milk level in the container can be read. (3) Flow-meter method In modern road tankers the milk is measured by a flow-meter i.e. volumetric measurement. The tanker is usually equipped with a deaerator which removes air that may have entered the milk during pumping etc. High air content will result in increased milk volumes. Before payment to the farmer litres can be converted into kilos : litres x specific gravity = kilos. 2. Gravimetric measurement (kilos/pounds) The most common method for measuring milk from farmers is the gravimetric method. A wide variety of weighing machines and scales are used for this purpose. Small cooperative societies usually use a spring balance. This is not completely reliable and can easily give wrong readings. Frequent adjustments even on the same day may be necessary. As all farmers are treated equally and have their milk quantities weighed by the same scale, this method is good enough in the early stages of dairy development. Later on, better weighing equipment is necessary. Milk reception plants normally have suitable weighing scales, weighing exactly the quantities of milk received. |
How does the dairy pay for quantity?
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7 If your milk is high quality the dairy pays you for the quantity you deliver. |
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8 This farmer's milk
can contains about 10 L.
Full of milk
it weighs 12 kg.
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9 The quantity
of milk is
12 - 2 = 10 kg |
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10 For each
kg of high quality milk he receives 5
mu.
Therefore, for 10 kg he receives:
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In the following methods, 2 farmers delivering similar amounts of milk with differing composition and microbiological quality are paid according to different payment methods.
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| 11 Two farmers produce 100 kg of milk each. If the dairy pays them by quantity only, they get the same money. |
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100 kg milk
@ 5 mu/kg
= 500 mu
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100 kg milk
@ 5 mu/kg
= 500mu |
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12
The dairy pays according to three
kinds of quality.
Composition
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Physical appearance
13 The dairy pays you more for
milk which has a good
appearance and taste.
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Cleanliness
14 The dairy pays you more for
milk which is clean
and contains few
bacteria.
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How does the dairy pay for composition quality?
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15 If your milk has high fat content the dairy can make more milk products. |
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16 The dairy pays more for milk with high fat content than for milk with low fat content. |
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17 The dairy may set a minimum
fat content e.g. 3 % fat.
If the fat content is above the standard you get more money. If the fat content is below the standard you get less money. |
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18 This farmer receives 5 mu/kg milk. |
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19 For the minimum of 3 % fat, he receives 3 mu/kg milk. |
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20 For each 1
% of fat over the 3 % minimum, he receives
1mu.
For each 0.1 % fat over the 3 % minimum he receives 1/10 mu. |
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21
For 3 % fat milk,
he receives:
5 mu for the milk = 8 mu |
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22
For 4 % fat, he receives:
More fat gives more money. |
Example:
These two farmers produce 100 kg milk each. The dairy pays them by quantity and composition.
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23 The dairy pays
70 mu/kg for fat and 2 mu/kg for skim milk. |
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2nd Method: Payment according to quantity and composition. Fat paid according to the above information and skim milk according to skim milk supplied
3rd Method:
Payment according to quantity and composition. Fat paid according to the
above information and skim milk according to whole milk supplied
4th Method: Payment according to quantity and composition. Fat paid according to the above information and skim milk according to whole milk supplied
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24
6 % fat so 100 kg of milk contains 6 kg fat @ 70 mu/kg = 420 mu + 94 % skim milk so 100 kg of milk contains 94 kg skim milk @ 2 mu/kg = 188 mu The dairy pays him
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Farmer with 3 % fat milk
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3 % fat so 100 kg of milk contains3 kg of fat @ 70 mu/kg = 210mu + 97 % skim milk so 100 kg of milk contains 97 kg of skim milk @ 2 mu/kg = 194mu The dairy pays him
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| The density of milk normally
varies between 1.028 and 1.034 kilos per litre, but it is wise to test
the density locally over a period to find the correct conversion value
for that particular area.
The density depends on the content of water, fat and dry matter. If fat is removed from the milk the density will go up. If the milk contains extraneous water the density will go down. This fact can be used as an indicator for adulteration. |
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26 Milk also
contains protein which
makes your body
strong.
Some modern dairies pay according to the protein content of the milk. |
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27 Never add anything to your milk. |
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28 The dairy will check the density of your milk. |
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29 If it is not correct, you will get less or no money for your milk. |
How does the dairy pay for physical quality and hygiene?
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30 The dairy
will grade your
milk in the following way:
- colour - smell - taste. Your milk should look, smell and taste good. |
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31 Dirt
There should be no dirt. |
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32 Bacteria
Count.
Cell count The fewer bacteria and cells in your milk the better. |
page 151
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5th Method: Payment according to quantity and microbiological quality
6th Method: Fixed kg price as Method 4 and microbiological quality A: Farmer 1 1st class milk; Farmer 2 3rd class milk
B: Farmer 1
3rd class milk; Farmer 2 1st class milk
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33 The dairy
puts the grades together and pays you more for milk with
high
physical and hygienic quality.
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| In the above payment methods
no expenditures, depreciation costs, bonuses, or other deductions are considered.
Before paying the milk producer for his deliveries, it is very important,
especially in a cooperative, to make these deductions. When the farmer
is paid for his milk, it is very difficult to extract any funds from him
to pay eventual overspending again.
7th Method:
Fixed kg price including some general deductions
Less
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34 Farmer
with 6 % fat milk:
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35 Farmer with 3 % fat milk:
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| The first farmer gets more than double
for
the same quantity of milk because his milk has: - higher compositional quality (fat content) - higher physical and hygienic quality (cleaner, fewer bacteria). |
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page 156