Happier cows, more milk

Whoever believes animals cannot have an easy life must have never visited a dairy farm in San Ġwann where cows are kept happy to produce more milk.

Not only can the 200 cows and 180 calves eat when they feel like and sleep on mattresses rather than a stone bed, they can even go for a massage when the stress of milk production becomes too much.

And, soon, they will be able to go for milking whenever they want, without the need for humans to latch them on to machinery.

The farm is investing €120,000 in a robot-operated milking system, which will mean cows can go for milking at anytime.

"This will keep the cows happier, which will make them more productive," Brian Vella, one of the owners, said.

Each of the 200 cows produces an average of 28 litres of milk every day, with 3.5 per cent fat and 3.3 per cent protein, and the total of 4,500 litres produced daily are taken to Malta Dairy Products less than 24 hours after being collected. Not all cows are milked every day because the animals take a two-month break every 14 months.

The farm has already invested €1 million - half of the sum coming from EU funds - in the set-up, which allows the cows to have a more comfortable life under a tent.

The farm has also invested in equipment to cool the milk to 4°C as soon as it is collected, which ensures it remains fresh until it is taken to MDP for pasteurisation and packaging.

The government has helped another 60 farmers through a €5 million investment to make structural changes to their farms. Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino said the government would be assisting farmers change their herd through a €3 million investment over the coming three years. The aim was to have healthier cows that produce more milk.

"The plan is to have fewer cows but a bigger production," he said, during a visit to the San Ġwann farm.

About 50 five-year-old children from the Paola primary school also visited the farm. Mr Pullicino said the aim was to teach them where milk came from, especially after a survey in the UK found that half the children did not know milk was produced by cows but thought it was manufactured in the same way as soft drinks.

On Sunday, the ministry will hold Festa Ħalib in Għargħur, where farm animals and milk products will be on display. People can also visit farms, with bookings made beforehand by phoning on 2590 4130 or sending an email on naturalmentmalti.mrra.gov.mt.