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Engineering Milk Production and Processing Systems

Israel is one of the world’s top dairy producers with the aid of effective breeding policies and technology. Israel is the global leader in milk production globally, ranking with the highest milk production per cow. In 2021, Israel recorded 12,000 kg of average milk production per cow. Israel’s dairy industry is considered one of the most advanced in the world.

On the other hand, Kenya is the leading milk producer in East Africa. Dairy is the largest agricultural sub-sector in Kenya in terms of income and employment creation contributing 4% to the overall GDP. Currently, the country has around 6.1 million dairy cows which produce 607 kg/year/cow of milk and a total annual production of around 3.7 million kg of milk.

Dairy farmers in Kenya have basic feeding systems such as free grazing, semi-zero-grazing with improved pastures and zero-grazing. Some of Israel’s top companies in the dairy sector include Afimilk, ABL Technologies Ltd, and Armenta.
Kenya’s dairy industry is private sector driven. Milk is majorly produced by smallholder dairy farmers, who account for 56% of the total output. The sector has an estimated 1.8 million smallholder farmers who comprise 80% of milk producers. The remaining 44% of milk output comes from large commercial farmers.

1.0.Unique Milk Production Techniques in Israel

Milk production begins at the farm where dairy cattle are reared. This implies that milk production is a cumulative result of proper dairy management. As
observed in afimilk, the largest dairy farm in Israel. Israeli farms owe their success to impressive technological advancements. These technological
advancements include detailed feed analysis, sophisticated farm management techniques and the use of farm cooling systems to keep the cows at healthy
temperatures.

In spite of the fact that the country has what may be considered unfavourable conditions for farming, such as excessive heat, humidity and limited resources. Israel’s dairy industry is considered one of the most advanced in the world. The total milk production in Israel is about 1.6 billion litres per year. The advanced technologies, including computerized milking and feeding systems, cow-cooling system and milk processing equipment, and unique farm management techniques, have led to Israel’s major success.

Figure 1.1.: Israeli Milking System Source: Alamy

Approximately, Israel’s dairy herd is 100,000 cattle. Israel has over 750 dairy farms. There are two farming systems: Kibbutz, which is largely farm units, and the Moshav, which are family herds organized as a cooperative society. All dairy production is overseen by the Israeli Dairy Board, owned by the government of Israel the major processing companies and the dairy farmers themselves.

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