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Dairy Cows

According to the yearend statistics of 2000, dairy farms in Taiwan have reached a total number of 819, raising 119,554 cows, or 146 cows per farm, of which milk cow totaled 66,140, with the overall milk yield of 358,049 metric tons. This represents a self-sufficiency rate of 24.18% and an annual milk yield per cow of 5,414 kg. The industry's total output of the year 2000 amounted to NT$7.62 billion.
The dairy farming industry started to develop with the government's strong support in 1957 and has undergone two major crises since then: the lifting of the import restriction on milk powder in 1965 and the opening up of domestic market to beef imports in 1975. The adverse environmental factors in Taiwan such as high temperatures and limited land, as well as the low consumption on dairy products, have together resulted in relatively high cost in milk production. The average purchase price of raw milk set by the milk botting plants has always stood at NT$21 per kg or above. As to beef production, specialized beef cattle farms are almost non-existent. The current beef self-sufficiency rate stands at a mere 8.07%. In light of the already high milk and beef production costs, WTO accession is expected to pose a great threat to local dairy farmers.

Recent Initiatives and Achievements

  1. Supported domestic production of grass and silages to increase domestic fodder supply and quality.
  2. Implemented dairy herd improvement programs to enhance dairy farmers' operation efficiency and ensure raw milk quality.
  3. Provided incentives for farmers to dispose of low producing milk cows and those whose milk is of low quality to boost the overall efficiency of farm operation.
  4. Provided incentives for farmers to readjust the lactation period, i.e. reducing winter production while increasing summer production to alleviate the pressure of excessive supply in wintertime.
  5. Supported dairy farmers to upgrade milking machine, cold storage and milk lorry in an effort to reduce the number of somatic cells and live bacteria contained in raw milk and thus increase the quality of fresh milk products.
  6. Priced raw milk according to number of somatic cells and live bacteria in the product to help uplift the quality of fresh milk and the competitiveness of the dairy industry.
  7. Implemented a price differentiation scheme for fresh milk produced in summer, warm weather, and winter to help readjust milk cow lactation periods and to boost the summer supply.
  8. Conducted cattle ranch appraisals to help enhance farm image and operation efficiency.
  9. Implemented a domestic fresh milk labeling program to boost consumers' confidence and fresh milk sales.
  10. Assisted farmers to improve pollution abatement facilities and encouraged dairy farmers to reduce and recycle wastes.

Future Plans and Tasks

  1. Continue to promote good-quality domestic pasture and silages supply and to establish a nationwide fodder supply system to boost domestic fodder consumption.
  2. Readjust the use of crop lands and other natural resources to develop ecological dairy farming park zones that incorporate sight-seeing, education and living functions with agricultural activities.
  3. Continue to support dairy farmers to participate in dairy herd improvement programs and to encourage farmers to conduct milk sampling on their own.
  4. Continue to promote the disposal of low producing or low-quality milk cows to increase summer milk yield and the competitiveness of the industry as a whole.
  5. Continue to conduct ranch appraisals to improve farm image and management effectiveness.
  6. Continue to implement a domestic certification and labeling system for quality fresh milk and to strengthen control and promotional efforts to help develop a clear segmentation between fresh milk and reconstituted or imported milk.
  7. Promote the certification and labeling system for yogurt drinks to distinguish them from reconstituted milk-based fermented milk.
  8. Provide assistance with the improvement of slaughtering hygiene and develop domestic beef brands to help enhance the competitiveness and public awareness of domestic beef.