Evaluation of Good Milking Practices (GMP) and their Effect on the Quality of Fresh (raw) Milk in Small-cattle Farms in Montería, Córdoba, Colombia

Abstract

The project was executed in the village of Leticia, one of the most important areas of Montería in milk production, which is characterized by poor indicators, generating technological losses in comparison with other livestock systems. With the implementation of the field schools, the intervention strategy in non-formal education generated a learning environment, between producers and technicians. The objective was to determine the effect of such educational intervention in good milking practices to increasing the udder health a quality microbiological of milk in farms small farmer in Montería (Cordoba). The collection of field information was developed in three phases: pre-intervention with an initial diagnosis; intervention where training was carried out through field schools in different protocols and field tests to obtain excellent quality milk, and post-intervention where a final diagnosis was made. Through an analytical study, were collected 144 milk samples were collected before and after the end of educational intervention, for somatic cell count and mesophilic count were determined; all these measurements were analyzed in a certified laboratory. The information was recorded and analyzed with descriptive statistics, using Infostat. The somatic cells and mesophyll variables were lower in the post-test. Technical support made it possible to implement good milking practices and link small producers to formal markets in the dairy chain.