by Amanda Smith, Associate Editor
"Milk quality is a topic of continued debate that poses significant problems for the sustainability of the Southeastern dairy industry," noted Steve Oliver, University of Tennessee, at the Southeast Milk Quality Initiative's recent meeting. "It's to our region's benefit to reduce somatic cell counts as the impacts are felt throughout the food chain."
When averaging DHI data from 2001 to 2010, the Southeast's SCC trended around 400,000 while the U.S. as a whole averaged 284,000. In 2010, there was 33 percent spread between the Southeast and U.S., at 340 and 228,000 cells/mL, respectively.
Yet, as Gina Pighetti, also with the University of Tennessee, noted, further progress has been made in the six study states (Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida and Kentucky).
In 2009, the SCC average in these six states was 395,000. By 2012, with European Union SCC mandates in place, the average had fallen to 324,000. Last year, it fell further to 318,000 cells/mL. Despite this progress, the gap has widened to 37.5 percent as the Southeast still trails the national DHI SCC average of 199,000 cells/mL.
Comparing year-over-year progress, Pighetti noted that Florida, Georgia and Virginia had the most significant SCC reduction from 2012 to 2013. Florida saw a 7.4 percent or 29,000-cell/mL reduction, while Georgia dropped its average 25,000 cells/mL. Virginia followed with a 5.8 percent (16,000 cell) drop.
Kentucky and Mississippi made progress to a lesser extent, lowering SCC levels 1.5 and 1.6 percent, respectively. SCC rose slightly in Tennessee, up 0.1 percent.
Broken into SCC categories, 24 percent of the six states' dairies achieve an SCC of 200,000 or less. Another quarter of these farms will be above 400,000. Virginia sets the bar for the rest of the Southeast with 38.9 percent of samples below 200,000. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Mississippi and Tennessee have a mere 7 and 11 percent of samples below 200,000, respectively.
Summer, too, noted Pighetti, is an issue. During the hottest months, 30 to 40 percent of farms jump up over 400,000 SCC. Tennessee and Mississippi, in particular, struggle during this time. Florida and Georgia, to a lesser extent, have difficulties as well.
