Profile of bovine-milk-producing farms in Rondon do Pará, state of Pará, Brazil

Abstract

This study describes the bovine milk-producing farms of Rondon do Pará, state of Pará, with the aim of assisting institutional actions and public policies that support the development of the milk production chain. The data were collected from interviews, using questionnaires administered in 55 dairy farms, which together represent 43.3% of the herd of milking cows in the municipality. We collected information on producers, characteristics of the milk-producing farms, dairy exploitation, machines and equipment, facilities and improvements, herd health, milking practices, and herd management. The average age of the interviewees in Rondon do Pará was 57.41 years. The producers had low education levels, with a prevalence of incomplete elementary education. Manual milking was used in 98% of the farms. When it came to hygiene practices, less than 2% of the milkers washed their hands before milk collection, and only 10% cleaned the teats of the cows. Animals were fed almost exclusively on pasture in the rainy season, given that only 2% of the producers complemented the diet with forage. Dairy production involved low technological levels, as the mean productivity was 5.5 L cow -1 day -1. The adoption of technological innovations in herd management may enable the growth and development of the activity in the municipality, and may make producers aware of the principles of sustainability.