When was the last time you gave any thought to how much milk might be in your bulk tank?

There’s a program sponsored by the Northeast Federal Milk Marketing Order that definitively answers that question. In the past two years, specialists drove calibration trucks to 482 dairy farms throughout the region and performed bulk tank calibration checks. This process ensured that farmers and processers alike were being treated fairly through accurate bulk tank weights and eventual milk sales. What did the specialists find?

The good news?

Overall, 83 percent of the bulk tanks were giving accurate milk readings.

The concerning news?

There were 17 percent, or 40 of the 482 bulk tanks, that were out of tolerance and needed to be recalibrated. Of those tanks needing rebalancing, there was nearly an even split between those tanks in over and under measuring milk.

To learn more:

Read 2016 results on page 3 of the February 2017 Bulletin.