What happened to the milk?

[harrry]

It was on the news yesterday. All the dairy cows went on strike and aren't producing anymore milk.

Very few dairies in Thailand,certainly not enough for the local market.Think you will find that most milk product comes from NZ, in powdered form, and bottled here.

With the increase in the Kiwi dollar it would also explain price rises over the last few months

WHAT ! Not enough local milk? Fresh milk in your supermarket means real milk not made from powdered milk.

No it does not. Try reading the labels sometimes.

[JoePai]

It was on the news yesterday. All the dairy cows went on strike and aren't producing anymore milk.

In 9 years living and traveling in Thailand I've never seen a diary cow!

I heard it all comes from China.

[mikebell]

7-11 in Bang Saray was selling 1 litre bottles of Meiji at 44.50 but as a special deal, the two litre bottles were 89.50!

[AnotherOneAmerican]

7-11 in Bang Saray was selling 1 litre bottles of Meiji at 44.50 but as a special deal, the two litre bottles were 89.50!

Are you sure they weren't 800ml bottles for 44.50?

[Sparkles]

It was on the news yesterday. All the dairy cows went on strike and aren't producing anymore milk.

Very few dairies in Thailand,certainly not enough for the local market.Think you will find that most milk product comes from NZ, in powdered form, and bottled here.

With the increase in the Kiwi dollar it would also explain price rises over the last few months

WHAT ! Not enough local milk? Fresh milk in your supermarket means real milk not made from powdered milk.

No it does not. Try reading the labels sometimes.

OK Harry please explain.The Meiji large bottle we bought today from MAKRO,89 baht, simply informs that it comes from a distributor in Saraburi not the original source of the product.

How many dairies in Saraburi ?

Please advise where the dairies to supply a Thai population of 65 m + people are located ? Apart from the Chok Chai brand.

Australia currently is exporting milk to China in vast quantities for the high end market. Premium full cream in original form ,its cost an absolute fortune as obviously has to be refrigerated.

NZ exports milk all over the world mostly in powdered form. Mainland Cheese one of the biggest sellers is also ex NZ

[Yme]

Total fantasy some of the comments here regarding powdered / imported milk products.

The dairy industry was kicked off by the King "who founded an experimental dairy farm inside the grounds of Chitralda Palace, his Bangkok residence, in 1962". He still has a milk processing plant and a very nice looking herd of cattle too. I see them quite regularly when driving past the palace. Best looking cows I've seen in Thailand so far.

Google is your friend.

CP-Meiji "has 53 per cent share of the Thailand pasteurised milk market" in a 60-40 joint venture formed with Japanese conglomerate Meiji Co. in 1989"

“Half of the 300 tons (about 89,855 litres or 63,760 gallons) of raw milk we collect each day..."

CP Meiji: "Some people may ship in reconstituted milk or frozen milk and package locally, but a main part of our success is due to our fresh taste and that is something imported milk can’t compete with. Even after two days the taste of milk has changed from when it was produced"

"the entire production facility is overseen by technicians from Japan". Translated: The Japanese do no let the Thais touch the milk during processing (fact).

Source: http://www.establishmentpost.com/fresh-tastes-best-cp-meiji-well-positioned-asean-dairy-battleground/?preview=true&preview_id=6616&preview_nonce=71f1379bfb

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Half of the 300 tons (about 89,855 litres or 63,760 gallons) of raw milk we collect each day..."

Where does the other half come from then?

Just asking!

[Mousehound]

It was on the news yesterday. All the dairy cows went on strike and aren't producing anymore milk.

I heard there may be a revolutionary cow coup.

[kalbo123]

A litre milk is 830CC in Thailand.

[ClutchClark]

BBC just ran an informative article last week on global milk supply shortages. Milk is now a global commodity and traded as such.

Apparently everyone in the world now has a craving for cheese topped pizza. Your CM dairies are selling overseas at higher profit margins.

Read here:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29133022

[Mousehound]

I can hardly believe that in Australia milk is so cheap. 1$A a litre. The Ausies are moving into export big time.

[ClutchClark]

I can hardly believe that in Australia milk is so cheap. 1$A a litre. The Ausies are moving into export big time.

In the US the dairy prices are heavily subsidized.

Dairy farmers love to suck on that gov't tit...teet?

[khwaibah]

The largest dairy farm in the world is the Al-Safi Farm, located in Saudi Arabia. The farm has over 37,000 head cattle and 14 square miles of farm land.

[Songhua]

No Meiji at Tops or my 7-11 in BangSaen for a couple of days now. Bought 830ml Dutch Mill (at Tops) yesterday for 44.50.

[Andyfarquar]

Well, a very nice turnout and lots of varied replies. Thanks to all those who made a reply, even those of you who are clearly bonkers....

Personally, I love the taste of fresh milk and I really don't like UHT at all. The reconstituted milk that tastes powdery (and leaves a clack at the back of your throat) is acceptable if there's no fresh milk available. Anyone who thinks Meiji is a reconstituted, powdered Australian import has a seriously short brain cell count... or perhaps they haven't actually tried it. My habit has been to buy 2 litre bottles of Meiji and use it liberally on my cereals and my daughter loves to drink it by the glassful too. A shortage is going to impact us as a family so I'll be out searching for the elusive bottles in the supermarkets further away from us.

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... 830ml = 28oz = 1 quart / 1000ml = 33.8oz = 1 litre

As for those who said there are no dairy cows in Thailand...... get a grip, get out of your armchair and go outside once in a while. The cows don't normally walk around Pattaya's Walking Street, JomtienBeach Road etc... They are out in the countryside. There are hundreds of thousands of dairy cattle in Thailand and the dairy industry here is considerably larger than Philippines where I used to get fresh milk in Cebu, Davao and Angeles Cities. The data suggests that Thais are getting more into dairy all the time as it goes together with their growing interest in lifestyle & fitness. Milk drinks is a huge market with massive room for growth in Thailand.

คนบ้า! อย่าคาดหวังว่าวัวมาให้คุณ

Andy

Edited September 19, 2014 by Andyfarquar

[ignis]

Well, a very nice turnout and lots of varied replies. Thanks to all those who made a reply, even those of you who are clearly bonkers....

Personally, I love the taste of fresh milk and I really don't like UHT at all. The reconstituted milk that tastes powdery (and leaves a clack at the back of your throat) is acceptable if there's no fresh milk available. Anyone who thinks Meiji is a reconstituted, powdered Australian import has a seriously short brain cell count... or perhaps they haven't actually tried it. My habit has been to buy 2 litre bottles of Meiji and use it liberally on my cereals and my daughter loves to drink it by the glassful too. A shortage is going to impact us as a family so I'll be out searching for the elusive bottles in the supermarkets further away from us.

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... 830ml = 28oz = 1 quart / 1000ml = 33.8oz = 1 litre

As for those who said there are no dairy cows in Thailand...... get a grip, get out of your armchair and go outside once in a while. The cows don't normally walk around Pattaya's Walking Street, JomtienBeach Road etc... They are out in the countryside. There are hundreds of thousands of dairy cattle in Thailand and the dairy industry here is considerably larger than Philippines where I used to get fresh milk in Cebu, Davao and Angeles Cities. The data suggests that Thais are getting more into dairy all the time as it goes together with their growing interest in lifestyle & fitness. Milk drinks is a huge market with massive room for growth in Thailand.

คนบ้า! อย่าคาดหวังว่าวัวมาให้คุณ

Andy

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one...

is very true, go and ask for 1lt bottle of milk, then look on the bottle - say's contents 830

[tolsti]

The largest dairy farm in the world is the Al-Safi Farm, located in Saudi Arabia. The farm has over 37,000 head cattle and 14 square miles of farm land.

I believe there was a programme on that place on Discovery Channel?..... However it seems the largest now is in Vietnam

[kalbo123]

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... 830ml = 28oz = 1 quart / 1000ml = 33.8oz = 1 litre

Of course I mean to say 830ml.

But what consumers should be aware of that was a litre before..

It happened with a lot of products in Thailand also washing detergent was 1kg now 900 gm.

Prices rice and you get less product.

They fool around with the quantity.

Edited September 19, 2014 by kalbo123

[andreandre]

Half of the 300 tons (about 89,855 litres or 63,760 gallons) of raw milk we collect each day..."

Where does the other half come from then?

Just asking!

The full quote tells all.

“Half of the 300 tons (about 89,855 litres or 63,760 gallons) of raw milk we collect each day comes from independent farmers that we have exclusive milk collection contracts with, about 10 per cent from farms owned by CPF (Charoen Pokphand Foods – who own 60 per cent of CP-Meiji) and the balance from regional milk collecting centres supplied by independent farmers.

Taken from this site, which is very informative IMO;

http://www.establishmentpost.com/fresh-tastes-best-cp-meiji-well-positioned-asean-dairy-battleground/

Edited September 19, 2014 by andreandre

[iainiain101]

Well, a very nice turnout and lots of varied replies. Thanks to all those who made a reply, even those of you who are clearly bonkers....

Personally, I love the taste of fresh milk and I really don't like UHT at all. The reconstituted milk that tastes powdery (and leaves a clack at the back of your throat) is acceptable if there's no fresh milk available. Anyone who thinks Meiji is a reconstituted, powdered Australian import has a seriously short brain cell count... or perhaps they haven't actually tried it. My habit has been to buy 2 litre bottles of Meiji and use it liberally on my cereals and my daughter loves to drink it by the glassful too. A shortage is going to impact us as a family so I'll be out searching for the elusive bottles in the supermarkets further away from us.

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... 830ml = 28oz = 1 quart / 1000ml = 33.8oz = 1 litre

As for those who said there are no dairy cows in Thailand...... get a grip, get out of your armchair and go outside once in a while. The cows don't normally walk around Pattaya's Walking Street, JomtienBeach Road etc... They are out in the countryside. There are hundreds of thousands of dairy cattle in Thailand and the dairy industry here is considerably larger than Philippines where I used to get fresh milk in Cebu, Davao and Angeles Cities. The data suggests that Thais are getting more into dairy all the time as it goes together with their growing interest in lifestyle & fitness. Milk drinks is a huge market with massive room for growth in Thailand.

คนบ้า! อย่าคาดหวังว่าวัวมาให้คุณ

Andy

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one...

is very true, go and ask for 1lt bottle of milk, then look on the bottle - say's contents 830

The fact that bottle size has changed does not mean definitions of volume have changed.

Large Singha bottles have changed from 630 ml to the new 500 ml size. If you want to buy during the 'off sales' period you need to buy 10 litres or more. This used to be 16 or more bottles. with the new size you have to buy 20 or more bottles. Ipso facto the Thai definition of 10 litres has not changed.

[Andyfarquar]

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... 830ml = 28oz = 1 quart / 1000ml = 33.8oz = 1 litre

Of course I mean to say 830ml.

But what consumers should be aware of that was a litre before..

It happened with a lot of products in Thailand also washing detergent was 1kg now 900 gm.

Prices rice and you get less product.

They fool around with the quantity.

Sorry Kalbo, 830ml (or 830cc) is used because it is 23oz the exact equivalent of one Quart. 830ml has never been a litre in Thailand or Timbuktoo for that matter. There are some under-educated sales staff who will give you a quart bottle when you ask for a litre because that's what's available and they don't have the English to correct you.... The Meiji 2 litre milk bottles are clearly marked (in Thai) with 2000ml and there is a quality mark showing ISO9001 because the Japanese own the company and care how they are seen by the public. Gasoline & Diesel are sold in litres with 10 x 100ml increments, water is sold in 500ml, 1000ml and many larger sizes too. Reducing the size of a carton or package does not change the measurement of a kilo or a litre, that's just old fashioned marketing that's been happening since the Romans.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Well, a very nice turnout and lots of varied replies. Thanks to all those who made a reply, even those of you who are clearly bonkers....

Personally, I love the taste of fresh milk and I really don't like UHT at all. The reconstituted milk that tastes powdery (and leaves a clack at the back of your throat) is acceptable if there's no fresh milk available. Anyone who thinks Meiji is a reconstituted, powdered Australian import has a seriously short brain cell count... or perhaps they haven't actually tried it. My habit has been to buy 2 litre bottles of Meiji and use it liberally on my cereals and my daughter loves to drink it by the glassful too. A shortage is going to impact us as a family so I'll be out searching for the elusive bottles in the supermarkets further away from us.

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... 830ml = 28oz = 1 quart / 1000ml = 33.8oz = 1 litre

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... very true, go and ask for 1lt bottle of milk, then look on the bottle - say's contents 830

Meiji sells 3 sizes in many shops,

830 ml plastic bottle

946 ml carton (sometimes sold as a twin pack)

2 l plastic bottle

Also,

Somebody posted a Meiji quote, claiming they collect half their milk fresh each day.

Makes me think the other half isn't collected fresh each day, still want to know where it comes from (thinking powder).

[Yme]

Half of the 300 tons (about 89,855 litres or 63,760 gallons) of raw milk we collect each day..."

Where does the other half come from then?

Just asking!

According to the story:

"“Half of the 300 tons (about 89,855 litres or 63,760 gallons) of raw milk we collect each day comes from independent farmers that we have exclusive milk collection contracts with, about 10 per cent from farms owned by CPF (Charoen Pokphand Foods – who own 60 per cent of CP-Meiji) and the balance from regional milk collecting centres supplied by independent farmers."

Edited September 19, 2014 by Yme

[quidnunc]

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... 830ml = 28oz = 1 quart / 1000ml = 33.8oz = 1 litre

Of course I mean to say 830ml.

But what consumers should be aware of that was a litre before..

It happened with a lot of products in Thailand also washing detergent was 1kg now 900 gm.

Prices rice and you get less product.

They fool around with the quantity.

Sorry Kalbo, 830ml (or 830cc) is used because it is 23oz the exact equivalent of one Quart. 830ml has never been a litre in Thailand or Timbuktoo for that matter. There are some under-educated sales staff who will give you a quart bottle when you ask for a litre because that's what's available and they don't have the English to correct you.... The Meiji 2 litre milk bottles are clearly marked (in Thai) with 2000ml and there is a quality mark showing ISO9001 because the Japanese own the company and care how they are seen by the public. Gasoline & Diesel are sold in litres with 10 x 100ml increments, water is sold in 500ml, 1000ml and many larger sizes too. Reducing the size of a carton or package does not change the measurement of a kilo or a litre, that's just old fashioned marketing that's been happening since the Romans.

An American quart is 946 mls. a uk (imperial) quart is 25 percent larger than an american quart.

Edited September 19, 2014 by quidnunc

[ClutchClark]

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... 830ml = 28oz = 1 quart / 1000ml = 33.8oz = 1 litre

Of course I mean to say 830ml.

But what consumers should be aware of that was a litre before..

It happened with a lot of products in Thailand also washing detergent was 1kg now 900 gm.

Prices rice and you get less product.

They fool around with the quantity.

Sorry Kalbo, 830ml (or 830cc) is used because it is 23oz the exact equivalent of one Quart. 830ml has never been a litre in Thailand or Timbuktoo for that matter. There are some under-educated sales staff who will give you a quart bottle when you ask for a litre because that's what's available and they don't have the English to correct you.... The Meiji 2 litre milk bottles are clearly marked (in Thai) with 2000ml and there is a quality mark showing ISO9001 because the Japanese own the company and care how they are seen by the public. Gasoline & Diesel are sold in litres with 10 x 100ml increments, water is sold in 500ml, 1000ml and many larger sizes too. Reducing the size of a carton or package does not change the measurement of a kilo or a litre, that's just old fashioned marketing that's been happening since the Romans.

An American quart is 946 mls. a uk (imperial) quart is 25 percent larger than an american quart.

What kind of malarky is this?

Next you'll be telling folks that a US Gallon is smaller than an Imperial Gallon.

[quidnunc]

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... 830ml = 28oz = 1 quart / 1000ml = 33.8oz = 1 litre

Of course I mean to say 830ml.

But what consumers should be aware of that was a litre before..

It happened with a lot of products in Thailand also washing detergent was 1kg now 900 gm.

Prices rice and you get less product.

They fool around with the quantity.

Sorry Kalbo, 830ml (or 830cc) is used because it is 23oz the exact equivalent of one Quart. 830ml has never been a litre in Thailand or Timbuktoo for that matter. There are some under-educated sales staff who will give you a quart bottle when you ask for a litre because that's what's available and they don't have the English to correct you.... The Meiji 2 litre milk bottles are clearly marked (in Thai) with 2000ml and there is a quality mark showing ISO9001 because the Japanese own the company and care how they are seen by the public. Gasoline & Diesel are sold in litres with 10 x 100ml increments, water is sold in 500ml, 1000ml and many larger sizes too. Reducing the size of a carton or package does not change the measurement of a kilo or a litre, that's just old fashioned marketing that's been happening since the Romans.

An American quart is 946 mls. a uk (imperial) quart is 25 percent larger than an american quart.

What kind of malarky is this?

Next you'll be telling folks that a US Gallon is smaller than an Imperial Gallon.

Well,the lab is working on this question right now. Brace yourself. The preliminary results don't look good.

[andreandre]

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... 830ml = 28oz = 1 quart / 1000ml = 33.8oz = 1 litre

Of course I mean to say 830ml.

But what consumers should be aware of that was a litre before..

It happened with a lot of products in Thailand also washing detergent was 1kg now 900 gm.

Prices rice and you get less product.

They fool around with the quantity.

Sorry Kalbo, 830ml (or 830cc) is used because it is 23oz the exact equivalent of one Quart. 830ml has never been a litre in Thailand or Timbuktoo for that matter. There are some under-educated sales staff who will give you a quart bottle when you ask for a litre because that's what's available and they don't have the English to correct you.... The Meiji 2 litre milk bottles are clearly marked (in Thai) with 2000ml and there is a quality mark showing ISO9001 because the Japanese own the company and care how they are seen by the public. Gasoline & Diesel are sold in litres with 10 x 100ml increments, water is sold in 500ml, 1000ml and many larger sizes too. Reducing the size of a carton or package does not change the measurement of a kilo or a litre, that's just old fashioned marketing that's been happening since the Romans.

An American quart is 946 mls. a uk (imperial) quart is 25 percent larger than an american quart.

What kind of malarky is this?

Next you'll be telling folks that a US Gallon is smaller than an Imperial Gallon.

At least put one of these in your post..Some folk may think you are serious...

[Andyfarquar]

One comment I didn't get was Kalbo123's contribution that a litre in Thailand = 830cc hmmmm perhaps you'd like to rethink that one... 830ml = 28oz = 1 quart / 1000ml = 33.8oz = 1 litre

Of course I mean to say 830ml.

But what consumers should be aware of that was a litre before..

It happened with a lot of products in Thailand also washing detergent was 1kg now 900 gm.

Prices rice and you get less product.

They fool around with the quantity.

Sorry Kalbo, 830ml (or 830cc) is used because it is 23oz the exact equivalent of one Quart. 830ml has never been a litre in Thailand or Timbuktoo for that matter. There are some under-educated sales staff who will give you a quart bottle when you ask for a litre because that's what's available and they don't have the English to correct you.... The Meiji 2 litre milk bottles are clearly marked (in Thai) with 2000ml and there is a quality mark showing ISO9001 because the Japanese own the company and care how they are seen by the public. Gasoline & Diesel are sold in litres with 10 x 100ml increments, water is sold in 500ml, 1000ml and many larger sizes too. Reducing the size of a carton or package does not change the measurement of a kilo or a litre, that's just old fashioned marketing that's been happening since the Romans.

An American quart is 946 mls. a uk (imperial) quart is 25 percent larger than an american quart.

What kind of malarky is this?

Next you'll be telling folks that a US Gallon is smaller than an Imperial Gallon.

The post and the measurements are really not about America but since you asked, I looked it up just for you ClutchClark:

Historically 1 litron (litre) was approximately 28 US oz (830ml) or about 75% of what came to be defined in 1824 as an Imperial quart.

The imperial gallon The imperial (UK) gallon, now defined as exactly 4.54609 litres, is used in some Commonwealth countries and was originally based on the volume of 10 pounds(approximately 4.54 kg) of water at 62 °F (17 °C). The imperial fluid ounce is defined as ¹⁄₁₆₀ of an imperial gallon; there are four quarts in a gallon, two pints in a quart, and 20 fluid ounces in an imperial pint. The US liquid gallon The US gallon, which is equal to exactly 3.785411784 litres, is legally defined as 231 cubic inches.^[1][2] A US liquid gallon of water weighs about 8.34 pounds or 3.78 kilograms at 62 °F (17 °C), making it about 16.6% lighter than the imperial gallon. There are four quarts in a gallon, two pints in a quart and 16 fluid ounces in a US pint, which makes a US gallon equal to 128 fl. oz. In order to overcome the effects of expansion and contraction with temperature when using a gallon to specify a quantity of material for purposes of trade, it is common to define the temperature at which the material will occupy the specified volume. For example, the volume of petroleum products^[3] and alcoholic beverages^[4] are both referenced to 60 °F (16 °C) in government regulations.

(Thanks andreandre)

Regardless of all that, there is still a fresh milk shortage in the Changklan area of Chiang Mai, where I would like to buy it. Like the internet, it will probably be back in a few days.....

Edited September 20, 2014 by Andyfarquar

[khwaibah]

All this chit chat on the size of containers is very interesting but the underling question by the OP has not been answered. WHERES THE FORKING MILK ?

[isanbirder]

All this chit chat on the size of containers is very interesting but the underling question by the OP has not been answered. WHERES THE FORKING MILK ?

Khwaibah, all the people in the towns round where you live seem to have no difficulty buying milk. Are you sure they don't see you (or SWMBO) coming?