Bright prospects for Thai dairy farming in ASEAN market

[webfact]

Bright prospects for Thai dairy farming in ASEAN market
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Nov 27 -- Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives pointed out that the dairy farming industry here is able to export products into the ASEAN market, and said that the ministry will promote planting special grass for dairy cow fodder to cut the cost of importing cattle feed.

Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Apichart Pongsriadulchai said at a seminar on 'Thai Dairy Farming in the ASEAN Market' that now Thailand exports dairy products worth Bt5 billion annually.

However, when compared with neighbouring countries which remain in the phase of developing the dairy farming sector, Thailand is at a disadvantage due to the higher minimum wage, though the quality of the milk produced in Thailand is higher, and Thai dairy cows produce more milk.

The minister said the price of dairy products Thailand is due in part to the price of animal feed, as the country has been importing it.

The ministry has now decided on a new type of farming by following a model used in Europe, where dairy cows are raised in the field to reduce the cost of feeding.

Dairy farmers would be further encouraged to plant more grass for grazing to help reduce the imports of fodder from abroad.

This is turn should lower production cost for Thai dairy products, the deputy minister said.

The future of dairy farming in Thailand will be even brighter, he said, once the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) begins next year, as the ASEAN market already has larger demands for dairy products. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-11-27

[Chang_paarp]

I wonder if anyone in Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has noticed that the best milking cows are usually grown in cooler climates. Yes, dairy cows can be bred in the tropics but good milkers are usually found in cooler climates.

[greg71]

Great breeding stock they have .

[Crazy chef 1]

great idea an Costas our old friend become the new "milking minister" h.c. ....

[BawBae]

The ministry has now decided on a new type of farming by following a model used in Europe, where dairy cows are raised in the field to reduce the cost of feeding.

WOW! Did they Google 'Dairy Farming in the 16th Century' or what?

A REVELATION!!

[Gunna]

I wonder if anyone in Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has noticed that the best milking cows are usually grown in cooler climates. Yes, dairy cows can be bred in the tropics but good milkers are usually found in cooler climates.

I know you said usually, but feed input has more to do with per cow production than temperature. Saudi and Israel ( especially in the Negev Desert where I milked cows on a Kibutz ) are both hotter than Thailand. Maybe they should try the New Zealand system of Rotational grazing with 80-90% grass grown on the farm. Lower per cow production, but much lower cost of buying in feed.

[ratcatcher]

Great breeding stock they have .

Good try, but here's the real herd. All 3,000+ head.

[phutoie2]

Great breeding stock they have .

Good try, but here's the real herd. All 3,000+ head.

farmchokchai_2.jpg

What you babbling about, there's not 3000 cows in that pic.

[ratcatcher]

Great breeding stock they have .

Good try, but here's the real herd. All 3,000+ head.

farmchokchai_2.jpg

What you babbling about, there's not 3000 cows in that pic.

Today, Farm Chokchai Company Limited runs a substantial dairy farm with over 3,000 head of dairy cattle, a breed bred exclusively by Chokchai Farm. The species is Chokchai Friesian which was developed by our R&D Team, by crossbreeding Holstein Friesian (about 93%) and a native Thai species (7%).

I doubt you can count the number in this picture either. Back under your bridge Major Nicholson

[worgeordie]

The future for diary farming will be looking bright, the Govt. has agreed

to increase the price of milk,which is now more expensive here than in

the UK.

regards worgeordie

[dcutman]

Great breeding stock they have .

Good try, but here's the real herd. All 3,000+ head.

farmchokchai_2.jpg

What you babbling about, there's not 3000 cows in that pic.

Today, Farm Chokchai Company Limited runs a substantial dairy farm with over 3,000 head of dairy cattle, a breed bred exclusively by Chokchai Farm. The species is Chokchai Friesian which was developed by our R&D Team, by crossbreeding Holstein Friesian (about 93%) and a native Thai species (7%).

I doubt you can count the number in this picture either. Back under your bridge Major Nicholson

It is a beautiful farm as well as their animals and they are quite proud of it. I just wonder why the milk yield is so low at only 18 kilo/liters a day per cow. Granted that is almost double the Thai national average yield (8 to 10 liter) but only a little over have as much as the average American milk cow yield per day (30 liter). I was surprised by that with the science and R&D they have invested in this operation.

I think the Thai dairy industry is much like the rest of the the AG industry here, stuck in the dark ages with no will or means to improve.

[slapout]

Google Fair Oaks dairy. they run a somewhat larger herd of cattle somewhere in the

30,000 number and no its not located in Texas, where everything is bigger.

Some dairy farmers attribute high milk production to the music that is played at

milkiing time.

[tingtong]

Great prospects (once again!) now for the dairy industry of Thailand.

yet they import butter from Australia that sells cheaper than the locally made?!

most "cheese" is the rubbery "sliced cheese"...not sure but suspect must be in cooperation to help the rubber farmers out with new market to their product?!

and not lastly, fresh milk prices are being above many EU country prices now; and UHT school milk so bad that the son doesn't like to drink, so the only use of his quota to be emergency cooking substitute if we happen to run out of the pricey but fresh milk?!

Yay, great prospects! Sure!

[chooka]

Milk in Thailand is double the price of that in Australia and doesn't really taste like real milk, maybe it is watered down to much or it is the native thai cows.

[Thai at Heart]

Now I am confused, because Thailand imports tonnes of milk powder from australasia and nz.

So, what are they planning to export?

[JLCrab]

I wonder if anyone in Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has noticed that the best milking cows are usually grown in cooler climates. Yes, dairy cows can be bred in the tropics but good milkers are usually found in cooler climates.

No problem -- plans are underway to change the climate.

[ezzra]

I wonder if anyone in Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has noticed that the best milking cows are usually grown in cooler climates. Yes, dairy cows can be bred in the tropics but good milkers are usually found in cooler climates.

I know you said usually, but feed input has more to do with per cow production than temperature. Saudi and Israel ( especially in the Negev Desert where I milked cows on a Kibutz ) are both hotter than Thailand. Maybe they should try the New Zealand system of Rotational grazing with 80-90% grass grown on the farm. Lower per cow production, but much lower cost of buying in feed.

Cow in Israel, that by the way, are the most milk producing cows in the world, enjoy habitats that will

be envied by many other humans, this is the results are many years of investing and inventing

the news technologies to get the maximum of the dairy animal while preserving it's integrity,

unlike here, where they just let the cow forage as she like and we get a substandard products...

[h90]

Now I am confused, because Thailand imports tonnes of milk powder from australasia and nz.

So, what are they planning to export?

Maybe importing the cheap milk powder from Europe, mix it with water and export it to Russia.

[tim armstrong]

Climate is a factor, as well as nett incometo the dairy farmer, as its quite a closed shop as regards marketing and price of milk. I have an australian friend who has been coming here for 20 years trying to help the industry, but manyof the usual petty corruption problems exist. The cows are good and not the real problem.

[carter1882]

To all the usual racist naysayers on TVF i would strongly suggest you look to some of the massive agricultural success stories before casting your pathetic stones. The rightful obliteration of the opium industry led to the incredible rise of quality products such as coffee and grapes which were virtually unheard of before. Given time Thailand with its incredibly inventive people will even give other countries a run for its money in dairy, wait and see. It wont be overnight but it will come. Rather thsn criticize why not invest!

[BritManToo]

Good try, but here's the real herd. All 3,000+ head.

I only count 15?

[BritManToo]

Today, Farm Chokchai Company Limited runs a substantial dairy farm with over 3,000 head of dairy cattle, a breed bred exclusively by Chokchai Farm. The species is Chokchai Friesian which was developed by our R&D Team, by crossbreeding Holstein Friesian (about 93%) and a native Thai species (7%).

I doubt you can count the number in this picture either. Back under your bridge Major Nicholson

52 as far as I can see!

Edited November 28, 2014 by BritManToo

[ratcatcher]

Today, Farm Chokchai Company Limited runs a substantial dairy farm with over 3,000 head of dairy cattle, a breed bred exclusively by Chokchai Farm. The species is Chokchai Friesian which was developed by our R&D Team, by crossbreeding Holstein Friesian (about 93%) and a native Thai species (7%).

I doubt you can count the number in this picture either. Back under your bridge Major Nicholson

52 as far as I can see!

Well done old chap. At least you didn't argue about the size of Chokchai's herd.

[masuk]

High milk production is achieved in a number of ways, as all you dairy farmers already know. However, I know nothing about the Frisian/Thai crossbreed cattle, which may be more heat tolerant and produce less milk.

Current practice in The Netherlands is to milk three times daily, with 100% Frisian cows, and they are often kept indoors in all seasons and the harvested feed brought in for them.

As far as I know the cows go outside some of the day, but the emphasis is on not losing energy/milk.

Some dairy farmers in Australia are running 100% automated milking units, and the cows come and go as they please and production costs are down to meet the supermarkets' crazy prices.

[MediaWatcher]

chooka, on 28 Nov 2014 - 04:03, said:

Milk in Thailand is double the price of that in Australia and doesn't really taste like real milk, maybe it is watered down to much or it is the native thai cows.

I seem to remember reading, not so long ago, that most Thai milk, except from Dutch milk company, is imported powered milk. Another interesting fact, China is now importing Australian Milk, considered far superior to Chinese milk that they pay close to $AUS10/litre, and import nothing from Thailand.

[chooka]

To all the usual racist naysayers on TVF i would strongly suggest you look to some of the massive agricultural success stories before casting your pathetic stones. The rightful obliteration of the opium industry led to the incredible rise of quality products such as coffee and grapes which were virtually unheard of before. Given time Thailand with its incredibly inventive people will even give other countries a run for its money in dairy, wait and see. It wont be overnight but it will come. Rather thsn criticize why not invest!

stop it your killing me. The dairy hub of the world ha ha and invest Jesus, hand over 51% of your money to a thai who claims he will dominate the world dairy industry.

blessed are the cheese makers.

[maidee]

"The minister said the price of dairy products Thailand is due in part to the price of animal feed, as the country has been importing it."

cows should eat grass, not grains/corn !!!

where can I find out if thailand uses growth hormone ???

[Thai at Heart]

To all the usual racist naysayers on TVF i would strongly suggest you look to some of the massive agricultural success stories before casting your pathetic stones. The rightful obliteration of the opium industry led to the incredible rise of quality products such as coffee and grapes which were virtually unheard of before. Given time Thailand with its incredibly inventive people will even give other countries a run for its money in dairy, wait and see. It wont be overnight but it will come. Rather thsn criticize why not invest!

What has that got to do with milk?

[spidermike007]

Why does Thailand produce so little goat milk? Is the climate not conducive? The goat milk cheese here sells for about $60 per kilo, or more. It is some of the most expensive goat cheese on the planet. One would think there is room to make some money. I know the demand is there, as it is worldwide. Anyone know why so little?

[MaxLee]

Didn't the government want to raise the milk prices,...?