Automatisch melken : kansen voor kwaliteitszorg en melkbewerking op de boerderij = Automatic milking : opportunities for quality assurance and on-farm processing

In this literature review automatic milking is reviewed on two main topics, the role within product quality and control systems and the possibilities of applying reverse osmosis on the farm. The milking process is a key process within a total quality management system on dairy farms. The milk production process was analysed using a Pareto analysis, identifying the main factors Man, Materials, Methods and Machinery. For each of these main factors quality control has been described for both automatic milking and conventional milking. On-farm condensing of milk will contribute to the reduction of transport costs between the dairy farmer and the dairy processor. In The Netherlands on-farm condensing of milk is not practised due to lack of profitability (long payback times). However with the introduction of automatic milking on dairy farms, new chances appear. The high level of automation within AM-systems, the relatively low milk flow per hour, availability of high-tech cleaning systems within AM-systems and the overall scaling up of dairy farms can be mentioned as chances in reducing payback times of condensing equipment.