Business

Fiji Dairy notes a slight increase in milk production

September 11, 2019 4:35 pm

The Fiji Dairy Industry has noted an increase in milk production so far this year.

This follows an average production per cow at 6.5 litres of milk this year, compared to 5 litres in 2018.

Fiji Co-operative Dairy Company Limited Chair Simon Cole says recovery can be attributed to the recent 14% rise in the milk price paid to the farmers.

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Cole says increased production requires a better understanding of the management of cattle through lactation which is the quickest way to produce more milk.

“But full recovery will take time, bovine tuberculosis has already required the slaughter of a substantial number of cows and, although we expect to see a decline in these losses in the coming years, it could be as many as 5 years before we can fully control the disease.”

He adds farmers have also benefited from the ongoing extension advice provided by the Fiji Dairy Industry Development Initiative funded by the New Zealand government.

There are also initiatives underway to improve calf production and farmers are also urged to look for ways of bringing non-productive cows back into production.