Information

Milk Quality Standards

Total Bacteria Count:

Payment is based on two tests per month. When more than two tests per month are done payment is based on the last two tests. The results of the two counting tests are averaged and the payment is adjusted as follows:-

<50,000
Max. Single Test 70,000	< Bonus 37.5c/kg Protein
51 – 100,000	Basic Price
101 – 200,000	- 1.27 c/lt.
201 – 300,000	- 2.54 c/lt.
301 – 400,000	- 3.81 c/lt.
> 401,000	- 5.08 c/lt.

Somatic Cell Count:

A minimum of one test per month is carried out – there is no maximum but in normal circumstances our aim is to test one sample each week. The geometric average of the number of tests carried out is used for payment purposes for that month. This should not be confused with the EU requirement which is a three month geometric average.

< 300,000	< Bonus 37.5c/kg Protein
301 – 400,000	Basic Price
401 – 500,000	- 0.28 c/lt.
401 – 500,000	- 0.42 c/lt.
> 601,000	- 0.84 c/lt.

Hygiene Registration Bonus:

A bonus of 29.5c/kg of protein will be paid on milk produced on farms which are registered under 852/853. in sections under this regulation are carried out by either Co-op personnel or Department of Agriculture officials and the aim is that every farm will be inspected at least once every three years. Farms which have been registered and on subsequent inspection are found not to comply with the requirement of this regulation will loose this bonus until such time as the issues raised have been resolved. We earnestly request the small number of producers not yet registered to address this matter, you are loosing the above bonus on all your milk while in most cases a small effort and a small outlay you can have better facilities and a better price.

You will notice that the bonus paid in each of the above categories is related to the protein content of the milk, the value is pitched such that at the average protein content there is no change in the amount paid but suppliers with higher than average test will receive a higher bonus that previously applied when it was volume based

Antibiotics/Inhibitors:

It is an offence to allow milk containing residue to enter the food chain. Should a supplier suspect that their milk contains antibiotic/inhibitors he/she should immediately bring a sample to the Society’s Laboratory for testing. Only milk which passes this screening test will be collected, if the milk fails the milk must be disposed of by the supplier who will be compensated at the rate of 10c/litre. This compensation will be paid a maximum of 2 occasions per year.

If a supplier’s milk on routine testing is found to be positive the following penalties will apply:-

First offence in the year	4 c/lt.
Second or subsequent failures	8 c/lt.

The minimum penalty that will the applied for an antibiotic failure will be the greater of the above or 2c/litre applied to 5% of the quota of that farm. The purpose of this is to help maintain vigilance at the start of the year and also at the back end of the year when supplies are low.

Subsequent to a supplier testing positive for antibiotic/inhibitors a second time in a month the milk will have to be tested and positively released for collection. This is a condition set by law in Regulation 21 of the Animal Remedies and Residues Directive. If this situation arises the Society will levy the offending farm with a charge of €50/day during the screening period.

Where a bulk load of milk or part thereof is found to contain antibiotic/inhibitor residue the offending supplier or suppliers will be held liable for the dumping and relevant compensation costs. Suppliers are advised to ensure that their farm insurance will provide cover in the event of such an occurrence.

Pesticides:

Under legislation the Society is required to test a percentage of its suppliers annually for pesticide residues. In the event that a supplier is found positive under this testing program no milk will be accepted from that farm until a clear test is obtained. Please be advised that the time taken for such a test will be a matter of weeks. As with antibiotic/inhibitor residue all failures are reported to the Department of Agriculture and Food.

Late Lactation Milk:

For a number of years now we have advised suppliers of the need to dry off cows quickly as yields drop towards the end of lactation. We have monitored this using the ration of Lactose to Protein present in the milk. This guideline was provided by Moorepark many years ago. However equally effective and simpler to understand is to base this judgment purely on the lactose content of the milk. Typically milk will contain greater than 4.6% lactose; late lactation milk from cows under pressure can be as low as 3.6%. A low lactose level other than at drying off needs to be investigated individually but usually indicates a problem with diet.

To discourage cows being milked long past their drying off point we are introducing payment based on lactose as follows:

Average Lactose	Cent/Litre/Month
> 4.25	No change
4.00 – 4.24	- 1 c/lt.
< 3.99	- 2.5 c/lt. .

Added Water:

Milk produced under good control should not show any trace of added water. It added water is detected, the amount of water added is calculated based on the volume recorded at that collection and the test result, this volume is then penalised at the Super Levy rate which applied in that year. If a second occasion the supplier is found to have added water the milk supplied in the week of the second offence and the average of the amounts of added water is used to calculate the volume to be penalised.

If there is a third offence in a month, the average of the tests and the total delivery for the month is used to calculate the amount of water added.

Temperature:

It is a requirement in EU Regulation that milk must be less than 4 degrees Celsius at the time of collection. Monitoring of milk temperature will continue and where inadequate cooling is apparent a supplier will be notified. If having been notified corrective action is not taken in a reasonable period of time then collection will be suspended.

Results Service:

The Society provides a scheme where the results of any test carried out on your milk can be sent by text message to your mobile at the end of each week. This is a very useful service and can be a valuable tool in managing a dairy herd. If you are not already availing of this service, please contact th Laboratory in Nenagh and we can have the service set up to include you. The cost of this service is €70 per year.

Bonus Refund:

At the end of the year any producer who has missed a TBC or SCC Bonus in only one month will be refunded the difference between what he was paid and what he would have been paid had he got the bonus.

General

Raw milk is collected ex farm must comply with the standards set down in EU Regulation 853 or 2004. Under milk quota rules set down in SI 94 of 2000 it is an offence for a supplier to supply or offer for supply milk which has not been produced on the holding operated by that supplier, accordingly transfer of milk between suppliers is illegal. Al milk offered for collection must be in vessels approved for this purpose.

All suppliers are obliged to notify the society of any incidence of disease on their farm which may have an impact on the subsequent use or certification of finished products. If any issue arises on your farm please inform the Society so that we are aware and can take appropriate action. All suppliers must comply wit the conditions set down in SI 910 of 2005. Also all suppliers are liable to inspection by customers of the society such that the standards that exist on our supplier farms can be demonstrated to our customers.