Organic Milk Production in Rural Dairy Farms in Lembang West Java – Indonesia

Abstract

Milk contaminations such as heavy metals and organophosphate/chlorines cause high risk for human health. In the same time, these contaminants reduce the price accepted by farmers from the Industrial Milk Processing companies (IPS). Bioplus probiotics and Cytophaga sp were introduced to rural milk production system to overcome the problems thus improving organic milk quality. Sixty heads of lactating dairy cattle (Frisien Holstein cross) were divided into two groups of 30 cows. Group 1, animals were offered 200 g Bioplus and 0.5 ml Cytophaga sp/head/day. Group 2, 30 cows were used as control which was common practice in rural condition. Milk quality was evaluated 1 week before, and 4 weeks after treatments. The initial results showed that heavy metal Pb was found both in feedstuffs and milk. Pb in feed sources ranged from 0.11 to 0.66 ppm while in milk ranged from 0.15 to 0.32 ppm (permittable level is 0.30 ppm; SNI, 1998). Pb in milk sample after Bioplus probiotic application became 0.05 – 0.08 ppm. Pesticide residues were found in feed, but in small quantity. Conclusion that can be drawn from the current experiment is the pesticide residue from organochlorine group is rarely found in the milk produced by rural farmer around Lembang West Java. Pb contained in milk is decreased below 0.30 ppm four weeks after probiotic application.