Status of Dairy Milk Business in Phatthalung Province and Development Approaches to Its Sustainability

Abstract

     The study aimed to investigate: 1) the management of the production of dairy milk by farmers in Phatthalung province, 2) the management of milk processing by a dairy milk cooperative, and 3) opinions on approaches to developing a sustainable dairy business. The district extension officer, 4 staff of the dairy milk cooperative—namely, the director of the cooperative, the manager, the chief of production, and the chief of finance—and 53 dairy farmers were interviewed. The findings revealed that most farmers raised Holstein Friesian (black and white) cattle. About half of the dairy farmers had less than 20 head of dairy cattle. They fed their cows concentrates twice daily coupled with grass or roughage. They milked their cattle using milking machines. Most had their own pasture, but the grass and roughage were insufficient to feed their cattle. Their milk production was around 8–9 kilograms per head per day which was rather low. The cooperative bought the raw milk at 17–18 baht per kilogram depending on the quality of the milk. The price was fair and the farmers were satisfied with it. Mastitis, a low conception rate, and inadequate grass and roughage were mentioned as the main problems they faced. Daily, the cooperative processed 40 tonnes of dairy milk and processed 20,000 milk bags, which it had no problem in marketing. Many approaches were suggested as means of developing the sustainability of the dairy milk business: enlarging the pasture size, increasing the farmers’ knowledge of raising cattle, offering concentrates at the lowest possible price, and encouraging farmers’ children to take up the occupation of dairy farming. The results suggest that future approaches to developing sustainability in the dairy milk business should have as their prime objective increasing the quantity of raw dairy milk. This can be achieved by various methods as mentioned above. In addition, the need to encourage young energetic people who are not currently associated with dairy farming to switch to this business to replace existing dairy farmers is apparent.