Zootechnical diagnosis related to milk quality and production profile in the municipality of Rio Pomba, MG

Abstract

Brazil occupies the third position in milk production in the global ranking. Production is low when analyzed individually, hence the importance of knowing the zootechnical indexes associated with milk production and quality. The work was carried out in 29 rural properties in the municipality of Rio Pomba, in the state of Minas Gerais, with data on zootechnical indexes for each farm being collected. It was observed that the total number of animals in the herd, the number of lactating cows, and the average area of the farms increase as productivity increases. In terms of productivity of liters of milk/area/year, the producers involved in the research have a production above the average found in the state. Regarding the implementation of good milking practices, it was observed that as milk production increases, the frequency of performing good practices increases. As for milk quality, for Somatic Cell Count (SCC), only producers with lower production had an average within the recommended range; for Total Bacterial Count (TBC), it was found that milk from producers with higher production had an average within the recommended range. It is concluded with the research that TBC seems to be related to production efficiency, where producers with higher production meet the standards, and SCC seems to be related to zootechnical efficiency. In general, most properties do not meet the legal parameters of milk quality. The zootechnical indexes are better in the farms as the milk production increases.