Abstract:
The dairy industry is currently expanding in Hambantota district. However, milk
producers and customers who collected milk from Hambantota raised concerns
about milk quality. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the effect of
different dairy cattle management practices on raw milk quality. The study was
conducted in the Hambantota district - Southern Province and covered five
veterinarian regions. From convenience sampling method five veterinarian regions
were selected and simple random sampling method was used to identify the
smallholder dairy farms for milk collection. The total number of 450 milk samples
was collected, obtained from 30 small-scale dairy farms operating under three
different farming systems: intensive (n=5), semi-intensive (n=10), and extensive
(n=15). Milk samples were analyzed at the laboratory of Malindu Dairy (PVT)
LTD (MDL) in Agunukolapalassa. One-way ANOVA using Post-hoc Least
Significant Difference (LSD) and Student’s T-test were used to compare milk
quality parameters among farming system and standard value. All the statistical
analyses were performed at significant level 0.05 (P < 0.05). According to the
results, milk KQ and SNF % values are higher than in the extensive systems
compared to intensive and semi-intensive systems. Significantly high lactometer
reading was recorded in extensive farming system. There are no significant
differences between all three farming systems on Fat %, TS %, Lactose %, Protein
%, Water %, Alcohol and COB. Most of the milk samples in this study area were
acceptable good quality level. In all the milk samples, protein, lactose, fat, SNF
and TS levels were significantly (P <0.05) higher than standard value. Further
lactometer reading and Keeping Quality (KQ) were recorded highest value in
extensive farming system than other farming systems and standard value.
According to my findings, the extensive farming system’s milk quality is higher
than the other dairy cattle farming systems in Hambantota selected area. In future,
welfare studies of the farming system have to be considered for the improvement of
milk quality.
