Milk in Israel. Russian milk will be produced using Israeli technology. About Lotem Pharma

Dairy farms in Israel are well organized and supported professional organizations, which are directly related to the Ministry agriculture, universities and dairy marketing boards. They provide farmer cooperatives necessary services and medicines. Thus, the Israel Cattlemen's Association provides local services that are based on the automatic reception of data flow from all computerized milking equipment. By the way, almost all the equipment was made in Israel.

Israel has a unique dairy sector and conceptual dairy production that is designed specifically to overcome the constant shortage of water and land resources that is associated with hot, dry weather in the summer, lasting about 4-6 months.

For these reasons, the price of Israeli dairy products is relatively high. However, this is also dictated by the fact that it includes high costs on imported grain crops, fuel and production mechanization. And, of course, the cost is based on huge investments aimed at overcoming negative climatic conditions.

The uniqueness and unconventionality of livestock farming in Israel is that all cows on large farms live in complete isolation (stall farming), and intensive specialized feeding and optimal animal management methods allow achieving great results. This concept is based on the belief that only these conditions and methods will contribute to the economic maximization and viability of dairy production.

Israeli feeding system

The Israeli feeding system involves the use of food waste. These products replace expensive imported grains and at the same time reduce the amount of roughage in the diet to a minimum.

A diet consisting of highly concentrated proteins and carbohydrates allows not only to maximize milk production per cow, but also to keep environment dairy farms. Incorporation of high levels of food waste into cow diets and forage utilization is easily accomplished through a complete nutrition system that feeds all dairy cows and heifers through regional feed centers. The majority of feed fed to Israeli cows consists of winter grains, mainly in the form of wheat silage. This wheat is grown in Israel during the rainy season.

By-products and waste from agro-industrial plants, for example, processing of vegetables and fruits, as well as waste food industry, constitute approximately half the diet of dairy cows and almost the entire diet of heifers.

Caring for the environment

The use of large amounts of agricultural and agro-industrial by-products in cow diets has allowed Israel to significantly reduce maintenance costs, as well as avoid additional costs for processing this material and reduce environmental pollution.

Thus, in 2007, about 630 thousand tons of by-products and waste were used to feed cows in Israel with a total economic efficiency of $40 million per year ($360 per cow or 3.3 cents per liter of milk). This figure is equivalent to 10% of the total cost of fattening cows.

High cow productivity increases economic efficiency of the entire production. This happens due to lower costs of feeding the cow and lower labor costs. Increasing efficiency also reduces cows' contribution to global warming by reducing the amount of methane produced per cow. Preliminary results from carbon footprint studies showed that the total amount of CO2 emitted per kg of milk produced by Israeli cows was 80% of that emitted by cows in Eastern Europe, and 40% of that of New Zealand cows.

Coping with the effects of heat

The summer heat in Israel certainly has a negative impact on the productivity of cows and the efficiency of the entire production, which leads to financial losses for farmers and milk producers. To offset losses, the Israeli dairy sector has spent 30 years developing methods to relieve heat stress, ensuring cows reach their maximum production potential. Among other things, cow cooling was introduced, based on the evaporation of water from the surface of the body, which is achieved by combining wetting and strong blowing.

Thanks to intensive cooling, cows produce only 0.6 kg less milk per day in summer than in winter. However, when cows do not receive sufficient cooling in summer, the difference between daily winter and summer milk yields is 3.6 kg/day. The ratio of summer-winter milk yield is 98% for intensively cooled, and only 90% for non-cooled.

Moreover, chilled cows require 0.55 kg of food to produce 1 kg of milk, while non-chilled cows require 0.61 kg. The feeding efficiency is obvious and amounts to 10%.

Experience gained in Israel indicates that high productivity and production efficiency can be achieved in the summer by intensive cooling of cows. Similar results can be expected in other dairy farms in various regions of the world, including in central Russia, where in summer the heat often reaches 35° C.

Israeli experience in Russia

For the dairy industry, which is rapidly developing in the CIS countries, the experience of Israeli colleagues could serve good example. In Israel, the production concept is based on the use of advanced technology and management techniques, which are carried out through a comprehensive computerized “database”, providing dairy farms and organizations with highly professional service. Of course, this path would also be suitable for Eastern Europe and Russia, where the main demand for milk and dairy products will come from the urban population. Therefore, in the future, most milk production will shift to new, well-equipped farms located near consumer centers.

The proximity of major urban centers will allow the use large number peeled waste water for feed production, create large feed centers and include cheap agricultural waste in the diet of cows and heifers. The use of such feeds will help reduce the potential cost of total animal nutrition, and at the same time solve problems of environmental pollution, as is currently achieved in Israel. And the implementation effective methods cooling systems, developed and tested in Israel, will minimize the negative impact of elevated temperature for cows

Dairy farming in Israel, thanks to the milk production system used, is not only cost-effective, but also environmentally friendly.

Israel is located east of the Mediterranean Sea. It is characterized by cool, rainy winters (November to March) and dry, hot, rainless summers (June to October). In summer, in coastal areas, high temperatures (even at night) are combined with high relative humidity (average daytime temperature is 30 ° C, and relative humidity is from 50 to 90%), inland valleys and the desert in the south are hot and dry (average temperature During the day the temperature is 40°C and the relative humidity is between 20 and 40%).

The dairy cattle population in Israel numbers about 120 thousand Israeli Holstein cows on approximately 900 dairy farms. For the most part, these farms are located along the coast and in hot valleys. According to the Israeli Stud Book (IPB), which includes about 90% of all dairy cattle in Israel, in 2010 the average milk yield (with a fat content of 3.7% and a protein content of 3.2%) per cow was 11,800 kg in year.

Dairy owners in Israel are well organized and receive support from specialized institutions associated with the Ministry of Agriculture, universities, dairies, and cooperatives providing veterinary care (“HACHAKLAIT”) and artificial insemination services (“SION”). Associations dairy farming Israel (ICBA) belongs to local service IPC, which is based on the flow of information automatically received from computerized milking equipment. Thanks to this online information, which is processed by the IPC Center, as well as a specialized dairy herd management program (“NOA”), Israeli dairy farmers are able to make decisions quickly and effectively manage their farms.

The concept of production in Israel is based on the intensification of production on relatively large dairy farms. The reason for this is the conviction that, in conditions specific to Israel, the most economically feasible way is to strive to achieve maximum milk yield per cow. Climate restrictions are forcing dairy farm owners to develop and implement new technological solutions and non-standard maintenance techniques to ensure high milk yields in hot and humid summer weather.

Almost all dairy herds in Israel use electronically controlled milking equipment, most of which is manufactured by two Israeli companies. Among the indicators coming from the milking machines are milk yield per cow and data on the quality of the milk of each cow.

Israeli herds show relatively satisfactory reproductive results, even despite the harsh climatic conditions of the summer period, a specific feeding system, the use of a relatively small proportion of forage and extremely high cow productivity. Table 1 shows reproductive characteristics for heifers, heifers and mature cows for the years 1998-2010, published by the Israel Dairy Association. The data presented show that average Fertilization of heifers was 62%.

Changes in conception rates for heifers, first-calf heifers and mature cows in Israel from 1998 to 2010.

In 2010, about 20% of heifers were bred for the first time before reaching 13 months of age, and their conception rates after the first service (65%) did not differ from those whose first service occurred later. Only 5% of heifers bred were bred over 18 months of age. In 20% of pregnant heifers, fertilization occurred before the age of 13 months, in 75% - before 15 months, and only in 7% of heifers - after reaching the age of 18 months.

Over the past three decades, Israeli scientists have conducted several studies aimed at developing effective system cooling, which will allow obtaining high milk yields and relatively good fertility in the hot season. The resulting cow cooling technologies were immediately adopted by Israeli farmers. Widespread adoption and use of these systems by farmers has been facilitated by incentives provided by a special milk pricing system. Receipt positive results the use of a cooling system requires its correct installation and operation.

The principle of operation of cooling systems widely used in Israel is to frequently humidify cows and then blow air over them. Such systems were developed and first introduced in Israel through collaboration between the Department of Animal Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Agricultural Extension Service of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture. This system was first described more than 20 years ago. Cooling the cows 5 times a day for 30 minutes allowed cows producing 25-30 kg of milk per day to maintain a body temperature below 39.0°C all day long in the usual Israeli summer heat.

Studies were conducted on fertilization rates after the first and subsequent inseminations in cows that were cooled using the same method, but 7 times a day. Thanks to intensive cooling, cows producing 30 kg of milk per day maintained a normal body temperature (below 39.0°C) around the clock throughout the summer. At the same time, in cows that were not subjected to cooling, body temperature was elevated for most of the day (above 39.5°C); it dropped to normal (below 39.0°C) only for a few hours (at night). Conception rates in cows exposed to intensive cooling were significantly higher than those not exposed to it: 59% vs. 17 and 57% vs. 17 after the first and all subsequent inseminations, respectively. The pregnancy indices of these groups, calculated at 90, 120 and 150 days after calving, also differed significantly: 44, 59 and 73% versus 5, 11 and 11%, respectively, for cows that were and were not cooled. The fertilization rates and pregnancy indices obtained during the experiment in cows subjected to intensive cooling were similar to the values ​​​​obtained from private dairy farms in Israel in the winter of the same year.

Another study, conducted at the same time by the same people, showed that intensive cooling of cows in the summer from two days before artificial insemination to the eighth day after it did not improve conception rates: 31 and 36%, respectively, for cows that were subjected to artificial insemination. and were not refrigerated. The results obtained during these experiments lead to the conclusion that intensive cooling of cows with a daily milk yield of about 30 kg allows them to maintain normal body temperature around the clock throughout the summer period, which makes it possible to obtain fertilization rates in summer identical to winter ones. Intensively cooling cows for a short period of time close to the time of insemination does not produce the same results - possibly due to the stress caused by the sudden temperature change before and after this short period. Perhaps, in order to maintain the reproductive potential of cows in the Israeli summer, intensive cooling and normal body temperature are required throughout the entire summer period, the entire reproductive cycle (from the initial maturation of the follicle to the implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus).

In recent years, several studies have been carried out in collaboration with the Israeli Dairy Association. Their goal was to evaluate the impact of the implementation of cooling systems on private farms located in different regions of the country on the reproductive characteristics and productivity of high-milking cows in the subtropical climate of Israel.

The first study examined the effects of cooling intensity on the performance and reproductive characteristics of cows. This large-scale study was carried out over four years (from 1998 to 2001) and involved 14 farms from the coastal regions of the country, each of which had an average of about 300 cows. Farms were divided into three groups according to the intensity of cooling in the summer. Cows in group 1 (six farms, intensive cooling) were cooled in the resting and feeding area 10 times (total duration 7.5 hours) per day. Each cooling period included spray (0.5 min) and fan cooling (4.5 min) cycles. Cows in group 2 (three farms, moderate cooling) were chilled only in the resting area 6 times (total duration 4.5 hours) per day. Cows in group 3 (five farms, no refrigeration) were not refrigerated at all. Milk yield (kg/day) and fertilization rates were calculated for the summer (July to September) and winter (December to February) periods. An analysis was carried out of 125 thousand milk records (more than five lactation records from each cow) and 17 thousand inseminations. The 4-year average minimum/maximum daily temperatures (°C) were 8.4/19.3 and 22.0/31.8 for winter and summer, respectively. Season of year and cooling method also had a significant influence (P<0,001).

The influence of the intensity of cooling of cows by a combination of humidification and blowing on their reproductive characteristics and productivity

The ratio between average daily milk yields in summer and winter was 98.5; 96.2 and 93.4% for first-calf heifers, and for adult cows - 98.5; 96.1 and 90.7%, respectively, with intensive, moderate and no cooling. Fertilization rates for first-time heifers were 55.8; 53.5 and 53.9% in winter and 40.4; 34.0 and 14.6% in summer, respectively, with intense, moderate and no cooling (P<0,01). Показатели оплодотворения у взрослых коров в тех же группах составили соответственно 46,6; 45,8 и 43,5% зимой и 33,8; 34,5 и 16,7% летом (P<0,01). Результаты этого исследования приведены в таблице 2. Они показывают, что интенсивное охлаждение коров в летний период может вполовину уменьшить сезонные различия в производительности молочных коров.

Thus, farmers must understand that cooling does not deprive cows of necessary rest, but, on the contrary, improves their general condition, which is important in the hot summer.

Recently, other factors related to milk production have come into play, including the impact on the environment. In the future, dairy farms will be judged not only on economic efficiency, but also on the amount of greenhouse gases they produce and therefore contribute to global warming. New data has emerged showing that in this area too, Israeli high-yielding cows have a clear advantage over their competitors from other parts of the world. This advantage is also due to the milk production methods in Israel and the high milk production of cows, partly due to their cooling in the summer. The daily volume of methane produced per cow and per liter of milk from Israeli cows, which produce 11,500 kg of milk per year, is 40% of that of low-yielding New Zealand cows and 80% of that of Western European cows. The greenhouse gas balance for cow cooling practices on dairy farms in Israel was also calculated. It is expected that these data can also be used in the dairy industry of many other countries.

It can be concluded that in Israel, dairy farming, thanks to the milk production system used, is not only economically efficient, but also environmentally friendly.

I. Flamenbaum, professor, Agro-Alecon LTD, Israel

Photo source: export LAT

As a preface, a few general words about the organization of dairy farming in Israel.

Dairy production is strictly regulated and controlled through the Dairy Chamber, which determines a quota for each producer, and also performs planning and coordination functions and sets uniform purchasing prices.

Representatives from four ministries take part in the activities of the Dairy Chamber: agriculture, health, industry and finance.

The responsibilities of the Dairy Chamber include stabilization and regulation of prices and production volumes.

This centralized approach affects the quality of whole milk, protects the interests of milk producers and, to a certain extent, influences the prices of dairy products for consumers.

The Dairy Chamber conducts statistical research and monitors compliance with veterinary and sanitary control requirements.

The joint efforts of milk producers, united in the Israeli Dairy Association and specialists from the Dairy Chamber, led the dairy industry to significant success - in 2011, an absolute record for cow's milk production was once again set.

It is important to note that it could have been more impressive if not for strict regulation in the industry.

The number of cows on 970 dairy farms reached 114 thousand heads, providing a milk yield of 1.338 million liters, which amounted to a 7% annual increase.

The average fat content of milk is 3.65%.

Indicators of the 2011 record cow: milk yield of 18.208 liters, with an average fat content of 3.6% and an average protein concentration of 3.2%

Israel confidently leads the world: the average milk yield per cow on Israeli dairy farms is 11,700 liters, in Europe - 8,000 liters, in the USA - 10,080.

These results were achieved thanks to the close cooperation of scientific teams working in the industry, breeding specialists and farmers.

Goat and sheep milk

These impressive achievements have overshadowed what is happening in another segment of the dairy industry, namely goat and sheep milk.

The number of farms producing goat and sheep milk in the country is 120. Production on them is less mechanized and in most cases these are small and medium-sized family farms.

In 2011, the quota for sheep milk production was 7.7 million liters, and for goat milk production - 9.8 million liters.

Statistical studies of the Ministry of Agriculture have shown that from year to year the consumption of products made from goat and sheep milk is growing.

This is due to a number of factors:

natural population growth

popularity of theories about the benefits of goat and sheep milk

a steady increase in living standards, entailing a correction in tastes and demand for products in more expensive price segments

expansion of exports of finished products (mainly cheeses)

Goat milk, has many advantages... It does not contain protein, which in cow's milk often causes allergies in children.

Much has already been written about its many nutritional and medicinal properties.

Sheep milk has a delicate and excellent taste. The overall density of this milk is higher than that of cow or goat milk, and it contains twice as many minerals (Ca, Fe, Zn), and also contains all the important B vitamins.

During the period from 2010 to 2011, consumption of goat milk products increased by 17%, and the expected increase for 2012 is another 14%.

Over the same period, consumption of sheep milk products increased by 18%, and the expected increase for 2012 is another 20%.

In light of the results obtained, in order to meet the growing demand and ensure the systematic development of the industry as a whole, it was decided to increase the volume of production of goat and sheep milk, in proportion to the projected growth in consumption.

It is important to note that the increase in whole milk production will be achieved not only by increasing the number of animals and milk production on existing farms, but also by authorizing the opening of new farms.

All this is happening against the backdrop of an annual increase in the consumption of dairy products (from cow's milk) - only 2.5%

An increase in the quota will lead to the appearance on the shelves of an additional amount of dairy products from goat and sheep milk in the amount of 1000 tons.

In 2012, per capita there will be 180 liters of cow's milk and already 3 liters of sheep and goat milk.

According to the study, the growth trends in goat and sheep milk production will continue in the coming years.

This, of course, will entail not only new regulatory measures, but will also lead to increased costs for breeding work and will push for new technological developments aimed at increasing herd productivity and reducing the cost of milk and dairy products.

About Lotem Pharma

I invite you to closely monitor this segment of the Israeli dairy industry and be one of the first to take advantage of ready-made and advanced solutions.

The Lotem Pharma company monitors what is happening in agriculture and livestock farming, regularly and systematically including all new and interesting developments and technologies in seminar programs intended for managers and specialists of the agro-industrial complex.

The above figures were taken by me from the official government websites of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Livestock Breeders Association and periodical industry publications.

There are many dairy recipes in Jewish cuisine, and in the Tanakh the word “chalav” (“milk”) appears as many as 47 times. True, in Jewish history, milk was sometimes used for unconventional purposes: first, Yael resorted to this drink to lull and then destroy an enemy, and centuries later, according to some sources, Yehudit followed her path. Today, the heirs of these heroines have more effective means in their arsenal (those who don’t believe you can ask the former prisoner Vanunu), so milk in Israel is increasingly being used for its intended purpose: to strengthen young—and not so young—organisms.

Just as in biblical times, when milk in Eretz Israel was considered a symbol of abundance and God's blessing, the flourishing of dairy business in modern Israel can be considered a sign of the country's rebirth. However, the younger generation, far from the plow, may think that milk either grows directly in cardboard boxes on a tree, or is produced by some cunning chip. In order to dispel these prejudices and introduce the masses to the difficult but rewarding art of creating cheeses and yoghurts, several years ago it was decided to hold the Milk Joy festival. This year, the opportunity to see and even milk a live cow was provided from February 20 to 28. Evil tongues say that the purpose of all this joy is purely commercial - to increase sales of dairy products in supermarkets, but instead of listening to spiteful critics, it is better to look at the “full half glass” (of milk, of course). For example, I decided in one day to travel along the real “Milky Way”, which was laid across Israel during the festival - from reputable farms to dairies and simply handicraft endeavors of single enthusiasts. It began in the very south, in the desert near Kibbutz Lotan, near Eilat, and ended in the green hills near the Lebanese border. After a close acquaintance with the Israeli “milky way”, I would not be surprised if I was able to distinguish the taste and aroma of milk from different geographical and climatic zones of the country: maybe a dairy terroir really exists?

In the ecological kibbutz Lotan they do not believe in cows, but they worship goats. They also worship ecology here: they don’t throw away garbage, they build houses from clay and straw, and they even cook food using the sun’s rays. You can make fun of this “green craze” as much as you want, but I can confirm that the goat milk and cheese in Lotan are really especially delicious. At the same time, the kibbutz way of life is not accidental, but is based on Jewish values. Residents of Lotan claim that they are doing exactly as Judaism dictates, making our world cleaner and better.

In the neighboring kibbutz Yotvata they didn’t say anything about ideology, but they gave us the famous cocoa and ice cream. The taste of Yotvata’s “Milk Joys” is familiar even to UN soldiers: one of the few achievements of this organization is the purchase of local yoghurts for the “blue helmets” hungry for civilization in Somalia.

To the north, the Milky Way has replaced desert romance with the spirit of the 21st century. For anyone who loves science fiction, a visit to the Parobot barn in Moshav Kfar Yechezkel is a must. However, one cannot dare to call this futuristic milk temple a barn. Rather, this is the embodiment of the dream of universal robotization: robots feed cows, care for them, milk them, process milk, check its quality, package it... But robots don’t drink milk. Oddly enough, even robotically produced milk turned out to be tasty.

On the way from Parobot, we decided to try some cheese and went to the Shirat Roim farm in the northern kibbutz Reshafim, where everyone was happily taught how to make cheese. One of the participants in this action proudly said that he already knows how to grow mold in his refrigerator, all that remains is to add cheese to it. I doubt that he will now be able to make this ancient product using the correct technology, but the training was worth going through for the tasting alone.

Having left the cheese estate, we arrived at Moshav Regba for the “Evening Flowing with Milk and Honey.” Yes, yes, a whole concert consisting only of songs that mentioned milk, cheeses, kefir, etc. There were enough songs for two hours without any problems, and they went quite well with milk. The last glass was raised at midnight. And do you think that after I looked at, drank, smelled milk and even sang about milk from morning until late at night, I got tired of it? No matter how it was - the next morning my usual glass of milk was especially pleasant.

Ahead of Shavuot, TopIsrael offers a lesson in the country's gastronomic geography: farmhouse and artisanal cheeses from Saint Maur and Camembert in the Upper Galilee to Manchego, Gouda and Roquefort in the Negev.