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Dairy Farmers Face Difficulties in Raising Productivity
Boyolali - Dairy farmers in Boyolali which produce up to 70 % of fresh milk in Central Java are facing difficulties in increasing the quantity and quality of their milk. Farmers are faced with milk processing industry policies that lowers milk price and applies quota. “Limiting milk purchase by applying quotas discourages farmers in increasing their milk production. If even with the current production not all milk is bought, what would happen if production is increased,” said Chairman of Dairy Farmers of Sukorejo village, Musuk subdistrict, Boyolali district, Sarono on Sunday (9/8).
This condition according to Sarono is also worsened by the lowering of milk price from milk processing industries. Milk price had been lowered from an average of 3,000 rupiahs/liter to 2,700 rupiahs/liter. The price was still lowered despite farmer’s efforts to improve milk quality until it meets with standards set by the industry: total solids over 11 percent and fat over 3.4 percent.
Padmoslameto (72), a farmer in Sukorejo, said the current milk price is very burdening, especially in dry season. A cow needs around 25,000 to 30,000 rupiahs worth of feed every day. In the dry season, daily cost increases because farmers need to buy water at around 70,000 rupiahs per 5,000 liters which is only enough to support his 8 cows for 10 days.
Stagnant production
Head of the Livestock and Fishery Service Office of Boyolali, Dwi Priyatmoko, said the trend now is to keep milk production and dairy cow population stagnant after the milk processing industry lowered milk price. Milk production in Boyolali had once increased sharply in the end of 2006 after milk price had been raised.
From around 59,000 cows in Boyolali, milk production was about 91.16 tons a day. It was better than production before 2006 which was about 70 tons a day. At that time, milk price again fell and farmers decided to fatten their cows (for beef). Dwi is worried this will happen again if prices do not improve.
“How could local farmers compete if they are faced with imported milk that receives subsidies from their country? Moreover, local farmers still farm traditionally with only a few cows, around 2 cows per farmer. Unfortunately the break even point is between 4 to 6 cows,” said Dwi. (GAL)
Source: Kompas