Friday, March 29, 2024

Time for a cool change

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“Farmers will be asking what other hoops they will have to jump through,” Federated Farmers dairy policy advisor Ann Thompson says, discussing proposals to update the onfarm raw milk cooling standard. 
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The Ministry for Primary Industries has been working on a proposed change and expects to formally consult on the proposals in the next few months, a ministry official said.

The New Zealand standard, in place for many years, had fallen behind the standards adopted by some significant export markets, and officials were concerned at the trade risk. 

The proposal would require milk to be cooled to 6C rather than the current 7C, in a shorter time. 

All dairy farmers and some dairy companies with responsibility for onfarm refrigeration would be affected, the ministry said, but it expected many dairies could meet the rule with their existing equipment.

Matthew Stone, the ministry’s director, animal and animal products, said the NZ standard for milk cooling had suited traditional milking practices. 

However, as herd sizes have grown and farming systems have become more varied, standard milking times have become longer.

Stone said the change was relatively minor but it would be enough to ensure NZ maintained its position as a producer of premium-quality milk.

Internationally, there has been a focus on milk cooling and a move to more stringent requirements, Stone said. 

If no change was made to the NZ standard, dairy exporters might find it more challenging to gain premium returns, he said. 

There was no immediate threat to trade in NZ dairy products based on farm cooling standards.

But if an importing country were to demand more stringent milk cooling standards the lead time would probably be very short and would not give time for significant equipment upgrades onfarm.

While the ministry could continue to argue NZ’s case each time questions were raised regarding milk cooling and storage temperatures, it was likely in the near future that an importing country would apply restrictions based on raw milk cooling.

Stone acknowledged the change would come at a cost for many farmers.

Fonterra calculations, based on a worst-case scenario, showed a large dairy farm could be in for a bill of $35,000-$50,000. Federated Farmers estimated two-thirds of the chilling units across the country might need to be upgraded.

The ministry has suggested a long transition period. The new rule would take effect from mid-2016 for new dairies and mid-2017 for existing dairies.

Advance warning has been given to allow farmers contemplating new or modified equipment, but the ministry thought it was premature to promote the proposed change before it had been confirmed. 

The rapid cooling of raw milk is one of the most important steps in ensuring the highest possible quality. 

Milk is cooled in two steps, first through a milk cooler and then in the bulk milk tank.

Many options were available for farmers to meet the proposed rule changes, Stone said.

The ministry and industry bodies would work with equipment providers and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Agency to ensure farmers were aware of the options and could base their decisions on energy efficiency and performance.  

Fonterra’s general manager milk supply technical and assurance, Andy Goodwin, said some farmers would simply have to adjust their chiller set points by a degree or two and some may have to address their primary cooling system,.

Some big farms might have to invest in snap-chilling technology to meet the new regulations, raising power consumption but probably saving on water. Other farms might just need to put more plates in their plate coolers. 

Fonterra supports the change and has been working with farmers to ensure they found the right solution at the right price.

There could also be issues with rural electricity supply, water-use consent impact, and compliance costs.

Among potential concerns were whether Waikato Regional Council water consents would be affected by extra water demands from the regulation change.

While the ministry has been low-key about the proposed change until final decisions are made, it has consulted dairy companies through the Dairy Industry Technical Advisory Group and the Dairy Product Safety Advisory Council. It has also consulted the Dairy Companies Association of NZ, Federated Farmers and the NZ Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association.

Federated Farmers has expressed its support for the ministry’s preferred option and welcomed the timeline which will allow farmers and processors to upgrade the facilities. 

Proposed rules

The preferred proposal for the milk cooling standard to take effect from August 1, 2016, would require that raw milk, after primary cooling: 

(a) Be cooled to 10C or less within four hours of the commencement of milking;

(b) Be cooled to 6C or less within six hours of the commencement of milking or two hours of completion, whichever occurs first;

(c) Be held at or below 6C until collection or the next milking; and

(d) Not exceed 10C during subsequent milkings

Where there is continuous milking – defined as milking for six hours or longer from the time milk first enters any bulk milk tank – the milk must enter the bulk milk tank at 6C or less. 

Farm dairy operators must have auditable ways to demonstrate they are meeting the requirements.

Water rules

A Waikato Regional Council spokesman said dairy farmers could take up to 15m3 a day for milk cooling and dairy washdown as a permitted activity under the council’s variation 6 policy.

If they needed more than 15m3 a day, they needed a consent.

Under Variation 6, farmers are grandparented if they were using more than 15m3 a day at October 2008, provided they have applied by December 24 this year.

For those not covered by grandparenting, applications for more than 15m3 a day will be dealt with on a first-in, first-served basis.

The new milk cooling standard could generate more demand for water, he said.

“It’s naturally hard to say exactly what impact any new government requirement would have in the Waikato – how long’s a piece of string?” he said.

“But as a general observation it’s no secret that available water supplies in parts of the Waikato are under significant pressure and access to water can’t be guaranteed in all cases.”

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